Fate Stay Night  The Eternal Grail Season 1
by E. 0rchid
Summary: A child from the future switches places with her father, and becomes a participant in the fifth Holy Grail War. At the same time another individual seeks to obtain an artifact that surpasses the Holy Grail. Slight Tsukihime xover. AU. Shiroux? IsseixCaste
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it.

"_**Graft the soul of one born as either True Ancestor, or Dead Apostle, and an Overlord to the body of a child who knows no mortal bounds. Thus ye will obtain the power of the Eternal Grail, and exceed the barriers of space and time. Gaining thy immortality and the existence of a God"**_

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 1: Rebirth from the Gallows**

"_Papa, what's a hero?" a little girl asked as she licked her strawberry ice cream cone, which had started to drip down her small slender hand. Casting a glance toward the setting sun in front of her she patiently waited for her father's response as she ran hand through her long red hair which extended down to the small of her back. Her emerald eyes were locked in place and seemed to twinkle in the pale orange light which also gave her usually snow white skin and orange tinge. She was currently donning a red baseball cap embroidered with a large T, calligraphy style, a short blue jean skirt, a white zip up hoodie, a red tee-shirt, and a pair of red and black tennis shoes. Her slightly round angelic face seemed to hold in a neutral expression which her father found adorable._

"_What a question to ask Midori-chan, what a question to ask," her father stated with a small sigh as he tapped his index finger on top of one of the old wooden columns connected to the old wooden dock they were currently sitting on. "Let's see, a hero is someone who protects as many innocents as possible, even if that means sacrificing a few," the man stated with another small sigh as his golden orbs gazed at the sparkling navy blue waters beneath him. He was a slightly tanned man with bronze skin and short white hair which was slightly spiked. He also had a dignified face with a rugged square chin. The Midori's father was currently donning a red cloak which wrapped around his muscular torso and bulging biceps, as well as high tech black body armor embroidered with silver trim which displayed his muscular physique even more._

"_But papa shouldn't a hero try to save everyone?" Midori inquired as she looked away from the last rays of the setting sun and up toward her father. She wore a puzzled expression on her innocent face as she continued to lick what remained of her ice cream._

_Midori's father sighed again but he also released a hoarse chuckle before he responded. "I used to believe that Midori-chan, back when I was young enough and naïve enough to believe I could be the protector of justice. In the end I found that it's impossible to save everyone, even if you give your all because someone will have to be sacrificed. I was too self-diluted to realize the glaring flaws in my reasoning," Midori's father stated as he pushed himself up off of the dock and brushed off the sleeves of his cloak._

"_But papa you are a protector of justice, at least to me," Midori stated with an even more puzzled expression on her face. "Why don't you believe in yourself papa? I do, and so did momma."_

"_Midori-chan," her father whispered as he gazed down at his daughter with a solemn expression on his face. "Thank you Midori-chan, it's good to know that I at least have one fan," he said with a small smile as he helped his daughter to her feet._

"_You're welcome papa!" Midori exclaimed with a bright smile as she finished eating her ice cream cone. With that they headed on their way back toward their small estate in the distance trekking through the vast suburbs of identical houses._

"_Hey papa," Midori spoke up again with a small smile still on her face, "Look what I learned!" Sticking her hand out in front of her she closed her eyes and seemed to be lost in though. 'Okay here I go!' Midori thought to herself as she furrowed her brow in concentration and visualized a small silver saucer._

"_Midori-chan what are you…" her father was about to ask before he watched in amazement as an outline of a small sterling silver saucer formed in his daughter's hand and then materialized. "Midori-chan," he whispered to himself as a small pained look found its way to his face. 'Well at least she doesn't have the same delusions of grandeur that I once did,' he thought to himself with a small sigh as he smiled down at the little girl as she opened her eyes. 'I can only hope she'll never obtain her mother's power. Otherwise she will never be able to lead a normal life.'_

"_What do you think papa? I did pretty good huh? Maybe one day I can be a great hero and mage just like you!" Midori exclaimed excitedly as she smiled a brilliant smile up at her father who simply smiled and nodded in response._

'_So much for not having delusions of grandeur,' he thought to himself with a small smile as he took his daughter's small smooth hand into his burley calloused one._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**10 Years Later**

"_Midori! NOOO!" was her father's pained cry as he watched the trap door beneath his daughter's feet open. A loud snapping sound rang throughout the jailhouse courtyard, and he knew she was dead._

_However, the officers present hadn't realized that they had the wrong person as they gazed in shock and horror at the figure that stood atop the stone wall before them. One of the officers, a short bald man who wore huge glasses, slowly lifted the black bag off of the head of the figure that hung limply before him. What he saw made him jump off of the wooden post and vomit onto the sand beneath him. Everyone else gasped, horrified at their terrible mistake._

_Before them, strung up in a noose, was a slightly tan skinned young woman with bulging emerald eyes. Her full lips formed a small smile which seemed to fit her slender elegant face even in death. Her lithe form hung lifeless and limp as the red cloak she wore fluttered in the wind. She wore an almost identical to her father's aside from the fact that it had a more feminine design. But what caught her father's eye was the chain with a small red gem attached in her slender hand._

"_That chain," her father mumbled to himself numbly as his eyes went wide in shock._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**20 Years Earlier**

_The time has come._

_These "masters" will employ the use of familiars from seven separate classes called "servants"._

"And cross swords with each other for the one and only Holy Grail," a deep male voice states from in front of an altar where a shadowed figure stands. The church in which the figure resides is enshrouded in darkness aside from a single flickering light from a melting candle holder. Before the candle stands a man with shoulder length brown feathered hair with bangs that hang over almost concealing his cold brown eyes from view. His face is rugged and his square chin strikes a handsome figure. He is currently donning a blue khaki jacket, a black tee-shirt, and a gold cross around his neck.

"That's…the war for the Holy Grail," the man stated forebodingly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A young woman stands in a glowing red summoning circle and holds a fist outstretched in front of her. Her long black hair was tied into loose pigtails held in place by two black ribbons. Her face was slender and elegant. Her slender form was currently clothed in a red long sleeve shirt embroidered with a gold cross on the chest, an extremely short black skirt which exposed a good amount of skin, black stockings, and brown leather shoes.

In her hands she held a spell book which she was reciting a verse from. "Thou shall come forth to my side," she began as her hair whipped around her face. "Thy sword shall control my fate. Abiding by the Holy Grail's haven. If thou accedest to this will and reason, then answer me. The oath set forth here. I am the embodiment of good in the eternal world. I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world. Three, the seven heavens that bear the great trinity. Come forth from the circle of constraint," as she finished the last verse a small drop of water dripped through her slender fingers.

Once the drop of water hit the summoning circle it glowed an even brighter red. Suddenly a hologram of the circle beneath her feet rose up over her body before stopping at her midsection and part of it rising above her head. Emerald eyes snapped open and she smiled confidently. "O' guardian of balance!" she bellowed as the circles lit up even more enshrouding the entire premise in a bright red light.

'I have, without a doubt, summoned the best card I could,' the young woman thinks to herself with the same confident smile on her face. Just then a loud crashing sound echoed through out the house causing her to fall flat on her rear. "What!?" she exclaimed as she ran up the stairs of the two story house and toward the room she suspected the sound came from. Swinging open the oak wood door she came face to face with an unexpected sigh.

Sitting before her almost covered in rubble was a young woman with silky shoulder length red hair, emerald eyes, and a slender face. Her lithe form was currently outfitted in black full body armor with silver trim that emphasized her figure, and a red cloak which draped dramatically over her form (think Asuka from Evangelion but slightly more mature and in Fate fashion). "Oy! Way to goooo Master," the young woman drawled sarcastically as she twirled a finger and dusted off her cloak while glaring at the young woman in the doorway. "Couldn't you have done a better summoning than that?" the young woman griped as she dusted off her legs and stood up. She then looked up and noted the gigantic hole in the ceiling and the moon light that shined through causing her armor to glow faintly.

At this point the other young woman's eye was twitching violently and her lips were twisted into a feral snarl.

"Oy! What's your deal? You know if you keep making that face it's going to get stuck like that," the red head stated with a smirk as she sauntered over toward the other young woman allowing her hands to rest on her hips.

"That's it!" the raven haired young woman snapped as her left hand began to glow an eerie red. Looking down at the young woman's hand the red head noted that it was in fact one of the command spells that was glowing.

"You sure you want to do that?" the red head inquired with a feral smirk on her face, "You might need that later on."

The raven haired young woman simply glared at her for a moment, but soon the eerie red glow dissipated. "Well then you better straighten up that attitude of yours! You're my Servant and I'm your Master!" she snapped as she poked the red heads ample bosom. Raising her hand to the red heads face she shoved the strange markings on her hands into the young woman's face. "You see these, without them we're both up a creek without a paddle," she growled as she continued to glare at the young woman who simply yawned in response.

"Whatever you say ma'am. Anyway, I suppose you're going to want me to introduce myself," the red head stated with an exasperated sigh as the raven haired young woman nodded in response. "Well I am the servant class Archer, and I hope you know what my class name entails," Archer stated with a semi-formal bow.

"Damn, I wanted to summon Saber. Oh well, I guess my best wasn't good enough seeing how as I ended up with a servant like this," the raven haired young woman stated with small sigh and a shrug.

"OY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" Archer snapped as she glared at her Master, her eyes burning with poorly concealed rage. 'Just who the heck does she think she is!? Class name doesn't mean anything, and I'm pretty sure I could take down some stupid Saber! I'll show her!' Midori thought to herself with a frown.

"Don't worry about it," the raven haired young woman stated with a small placating wave and a bored expression on her face. "Well I'm Rin Tosaka. Anyway, now that introductions are out of the way I would like for you to clean up this mess," Rin stated as she pointed at the debris behind Archer.

"Do I look like a maid to you?" Archer deadpanned as she looked at Rin with a neutral expression locked onto her face.

"Don't make me use a command spell," Rin deadpanned in response as she turned and opened the door. "I expect that to be done by the time I wake up tomorrow. Oh! And make sure that you wake me up in time for school," she demanded as she walked out the door closing it behind her.

'I would kill her, but unfortunately I need her,' Archer thought to herself with a scowl on her face as she turned around and faced the pieces of broken ceiling, shingles, broken bits of furniture, and other debris. 'This is going to take awhile,' Archer thought to herself with a frown as the out line of an old wooden broom formed in her bare hands and then became solid. "Oh well, better get to work," she said to herself with a shrug as she began to sweep up the mess.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'_Everyone's dead, I'm the only survivor,' a little boy thought to himself solemnly as he walked through the post apocalyptic ruins of a smoldering city. His green and grey hooded jacket was torn and covered in dirt and ash. His jeans were also in a similar state as were his black and white tennis shoes. Blood trickled down his forehead from a small head wound that was partially hidden because of his thick spiky red hair. His large yellow eyes seemed lost and hopeless as he continued to walk down the ashen streets in daze._

_Seconds later the boy abruptly passed out on the ground and stared up into the grey clouds above as rain began to fall extinguishing what remained of the flames that had burned through the city. As the boy continued to hopelessly stare up he felt his eyelids grow heavier and started to nod into a blissful sleep. Although he was afraid of dying he knew that there was no one left alive to save him, and he was slightly comforted, in the back of his mind, by the fact that his conscience would be free from survivor's guilt._

_Just as he was about to fade into the endless darkness he opened his eyes one last time, but this time he saw a pair of sorrowful black eyes staring down into his amber eyes. Connected to the eyes was a rugged face with a square chin. The man's hair was unkempt and his raven bangs almost concealed his eyes from view. Currently outfitted in torn and dirty black suit, grey dress shirt, and black tie he appeared to be some kind of a business man or professional._

_The little boy watched the rain run down his tired face as his vision became blurry and he passed out. However, before he passed out he saw the outline of another man who looked to be at least in his late sixties with a grey beard and wore a short black cloak. Waking up the young boy absently noted that he was being carried on something with four sets of wheels. He also noted the florescent lights and the blue walls above him and to his side. Once again he blacked out, and the next time he awoke he was beneath the white sheets of a hospital bed. There was a white bandage wrapped around his head and several bandages to cover the numerous cuts on his cheeks. He was also currently donning a baby blue hospital gown._

_He didn't even acknowledge the bright sunlight coming through the blinds, all of the high tech. equipment, or the iv inserted into his arm. All he could focus on was one thing. 'Only one person survived.' Suddenly a faint image of a sword appeared in his mind. He could barely make out the blue hilt embroidered with gold, and he could not see the length of the silver blade._

"Senpai…Emiya-senpai" a voice called out causing everything to blur and go black again. Yellow eyes opened to view the ceiling of an old warehouse. Shaking his head to rid himself of the nearly overpowering drowsiness he felt, the young man then slowly sat up and ran a rough hand through his short spiky red hair.

"Huh? Oh, good morning Sakura-chan," the young man said with a small smile as he gazed into a pair lavender irises.

"Good morning senpai," the lavender haired girl stated politely as she ran a hand through her lavender locks brushing back a few stray strands behind her small ear. After adjusting the pink bow that held back some of her hair she then dusted off her school uniform which consisted of light brown sweater vest, a white dress shirt with red seams, a red bow tie around the collar, and a black skirt that reached down to her knees. She also wore a pair of white socks that reached up to her shins and a pair of black dress shoes.

"Uhh," the red head boy mumbled numbly as he tried to get a grasp on the situation. 'I wonder if it's time for school?' he thought to himself.

"Don't worry, there's still some time left. But it is unusual for you to oversleep," Sakura stated as she watched the red head try to gain his bearings with an amused expression on her face.

"Oh, yeah. I feel asleep trying to fix this guy over here," the amber eyed boy stated as he pointed at a deconstructed VCR, several parts, and a few tools laying on an old blue cloth.

"Well it's not a bad thing that you overslept, in fact I would prefer it from time to time," Sakura stated with a small smile as she gazed down at the red head. "It would make it worthwhile for me to take care of you."

The young man simply smiled back warmly in response before rising to his feet. "Well in any case, lets get ready for breakfast," he stated as he brushed off his blue jumpsuit and tapped the dust of his white tennis shoes.

"I can take care of breakfast so please take your time," Sakura offered with a hopeful expression on her face. "Also Fujimura-sensei will be here soon," she said with a smile, "So you might want to get cleaned up."

The amber eyed young man looked down at his dirt and oil covered jumpsuit with weary smile on his face. "That's a good idea," he stated with a nod, "Fuji-nee will probably knock me through the roof if she sees me like this." Walking out of the warehouse he head across a stone walkway through the lush green grass of the backyard. 'I've always loved sneaking into that warehouse whenever dad wasn't looking,' he internally mused to himself as he looked around the property gazing at the dark grey tiles that constructed top of the white and light grey walls.

"I can't believe it's been five years since my father, Emiya Kiritsugu, died. It's even harder to believe he had been alone all of his life aside from me, especially when he lived in a house like this," the young man said to himself as he walked past a picture of a familiar man with deep black eyes wearing a black suit, grey dress shirt, and black tie. 'It's hard to believe that upon his death I received everything,' the red head thought to himself, 'It is a good thing that most of the complicated stuff is handled by Fujimura-san.'

The young man walked into his room, past his futon and toward his drawer. He then changed into an old tee-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. Making his way down the hall again he walked into an old style dojo. After doing a several reps of sit ups and push ups against the hard wood floor he got up and walked toward the bathroom. After his shower he went back to his room to change into his school uniform.

After putting on his undergarments he slipped on a white shirt with navy blue sleeves, and then tugged on a pair of beige khaki pants. Scooping up his discarded dirty cloths he then walked to the laundry room where he tossed the load into the washing machine before starting it. Just as he finished a familiar loud feminine voice rang throughout the house.

"Shirou! Are you ready yet!?" the voice cried out indignantly from the direction of the kitchen/dining room.

"Don't want to keep Fuji-nee waiting," Shirou mused to himself with a small smile as he walked out of the laundry room and headed down the hall toward the dining room. Upon reaching the paper door Shirou slid it open and came face to face with a rather peeved woman. Said woman was currently donning a blue green spaghetti strapped dress over a yellow and black stripped shirt. Her hair was a light brown and reached down slightly past the nape of her neck but offered a better view of her chocolate brown eyes and slightly round face.

"You're late, I got tired of waiting for you," Taiga whined as she looked up from her bowl of white rice with a frown on her face.

"Sorry about that," Shirou apologized as he sat down at the table while slipping on his beige school top. "Wow Sakura-chan, you've really out done yourself this time," he said as he looked down at the spread on the table before him. After taking a bowl of rice that Sakura handed to him he promptly began to dig in before Taiga decided to speak up again.

"You know Sakura-chan you should stop spoiling him so much, otherwise he's going to take advantage of you," she berated as she popped a piece of fresh smoked salmon in her mouth.

"I'm not spoiling him. It's just that senpai looked tired, that's all," Sakura stated as she refilled Shirou's empty bowl and handed back to him.

"Besides, you're the one who comes over here everyday for breakfast and dinner. Aren't you really the one who's taking advantage of Sakura-chan?" Shirou shot back as he woofed down another bowl of rice.

"Well the only reason I come over here is because I can't leave you all alone," Taiga responded in a motherly tone as she popped another piece of salmon into her mouth. "I made a promise to your father that I would act as your parent until you became a splendid adult. That's why it's my duty to come over here and look…" Taiga stated before she was cut off.

"Wow Sakura-chan! It seems you've finally mastered the secret of making miso soup!" Shirou exclaimed as he continued to sip from the steaming bowl.

"It's only because you taught me so well senpai," Sakura responded with a blush forming on her cheeks.

"HEY LISTEN TO ME DAMN IT!" Taiga snapped as she slammed her hands down onto the table and glared at the pair who continued to ignore her. Seconds later Taiga rushed out of the house at a blinding speed.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" she cried out as she kicked up a choking cloud of dust behind her. "I still need to grade those test!"

Meanwhile Sakura and Shirou were busy washing and drying the morning's dishes. "Fujimura-sensei has been under a lot of pressure these past few days, hasn't she?" Sakura inquired trying to make small talk as she rolled up her sleeves and dunked her hands into the soapy water.

"I guess, oh well," Shirou stated with a small smile and a shrug as he dried another bowl and set it on the dish rack to dry with the others.

"_Many victim's of last nights gas spill still remain in critical condition,"_ sounded from television in the background which was currently displaying the early morning news. _"According to the Fuyuki Police Dept. the cause of the spills is still unknown at this time."_

"Again? There seems to be a lot of those gas spills in Shinto lately," Shiro stated with a frown forming on his face as he put another bowl on the rack.

"Well senpai we're done. Are you ready to head to school now?" Sakura inquired as she rolled down her sleeves and took of her pink apron.

"Sure, lets go," Shirou stated as he rolled down his sleeves and put the dish towel up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'It's hard to believe that I've known Sakura-chan this long,' Shirou thought to himself as he stole a glance at the lavender haired girl. Both were currently walking down an empty street past several identical houses. 'Even though she's the sister of a friend of mine I can't believe our relationship has been the way it is for so long. After I injured myself I was really appreciative when she came by to help me with the chores. Even so she comes by almost everyday to help me now a days,' Shirou continued to think to himself as they came to a cross walk and waited for the light to read walk. Suddenly a police car flew past with it's serine's blaring.

"What's happening senpai?" Sakura inquired as yet another police car flew by.

"I don't know," Shirou stated with a troubled expression on his face was he watched the cars head down the street. "Don't worry about it though, Sakura-chan."

"Alright," Sakura responded as the light turned green and they crossed the street.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving at Homura Academy Shirou immediately headed to the Student Government Office where his long time friend Issei Ryudo was currently waiting for his arrival. His raven haired friend had been waiting patiently reviewing some forms as he rocked in a cheap grey metal folding chair when Shirou popped his head through the door.

"Sorry I'm late," Shirou apologized with a goofy grin as he walked over toward an old heating system and pulled out his tools.

"Don't worry about it. As always, I appreciate your help," Issei stated as he looked up from the forms and corrected his sleek frames. The blue eyed boy seemed to be lost in his work due to the fact that he also had his laptop on.

"Ah don't worry about it," Shirou stated as he dug out a screw driver from his tool box.

"Unfortunately we have trouble with the distribution of school funds when it comes to clubs," Issei continued with a small sigh. "And the culture clubs are always treated poorly. One big problem is the shortage of stoves in the winter. Anyway, do you think you can fix it?" Issei inquired as he stopped typing and looked at Shirou skeptically.

"Ah, it's probably just a short-circuit problem with the wires," Shirou stated dismissively as he looked over the machine. "It should last this winter if we replace the wires with new ones."

"You're good Emiya," Issei stated with a smile as he pushed his glass back up his nose, "I'm happy I could count on you."

"Issei, you know you use some weird Japanese sometimes," Shriou stated with a small smile as he ran a hand over the machine. "Anyway, would you mind if I had a little privacy so I could concentrate," Shirou stated as he looked up his friend who simply smiled in response.

"Of course, it must be a delicate process. I won't bother you," Issei responded as he packed up his belongings and left the room.

'Well it is a delicate process,' Shirou thought to himself as he stared back at the machine and pressed his hand against it. 'But basically…" Shirou thought to himself as a magic circuit within his lighted up a pale green, 'It means I don't do it the normal way.' Closing his eyes and obtaining a 3-D view of the object and its inner workings Shirou was immediately able to identify the problem. 'So there are two electric heat lines disconnected. It'll still work, and all I need to fix it is some electrical tape,' Shirou thought to himself as he opened his amber eyes. Pulling out a wrench he set to work. 'I think dad said it when I was still a kid,' Shirou thought to himself with a small smile, 'I'm very talented at grasping and imagining the internal structure of objects. Unfortunately when it came to being I magician I pretty much had none.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm done Issei," Shirou shouted as he ran up to catch up with his friend.

"Ah, that's great," Issei stated as he came to a stop and turned around to wait for his friend to catch up.

"It's almost time for homeroom," Shirou stated as he fell in step with Issei.

"Really? Sorry man," Issei apologized, "I suppose I would fail as a friend if I made you tardy for homeroom by asking you for a favor."

Shirou merely chuckled in response before both boys stopped dead in their tracks. Before Shirou was the schools number one idol Tosaka Rin, and she simply strode past him without one glace in the duo's direction. Shirou watched her head toward homeroom and Issei was about to comment before a shrill voice reverberated down the hall.

"Rin-chan! You almost forgot your lunch!" a red haired young woman wearing a typical school uniform shouted as she waved a small bentou box wrapped in a pink handkerchief in the air. She looked almost perfect aside from the bags under her eyes and the feral smirk on her face.

Rin stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned to face the young woman who had called out her name. When her face came into view Shirou and Issei couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spine but the young woman that the deadly glare was locked on smiled unaffected.

"Really?" Rin inquired in a faux sweet tone of voice as she stalked toward the red head and snatched the bentou out of her hand and snarled at her.

"Oh Rin-chan! Don't be like that!" the red head stated with a sadistic smile. "You know your little Rehcra-chan only wants you to be happy and healthy even at the expense of her own necessity to sleep," Archer stated as Rin continued glare at the young woman, "Besides, you're the one who asked me to cook your meals for you. Although maybe you should let me sleep sometime!"

"Fine, I'm sorry okay?" Rin muttered through gritted teeth as she twirled on one foot and stomped back toward her homeroom.

"Wait Rin-chan! Don't you want to show me where OUR homeroom is," Archer inquired as she feel instep behind the enraged raven haired young woman.

Rin stopped dead in her tracks and once again slowly turned around to face to the young woman with her mouth agape and her eyes wide.

"OH! I didn't tell you? I signed myself up, ya' know so I can be close to you at all times?" Archer stated with an innocent smile on her face.

"I suppose that makes sense," Rin responded as she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. 'That makes a lot of since actually, now I don't have to worry about being caught off guard when I'm going home,' Rin thought to herself as she directed Archer toward their homeroom.

"Well that was odd. Normal Tosaka-san is the very essence of calm, cool, and collected but that new girl seems to have ruffled her feathers a bit," Issei stated as the pair walked into their homeroom. "No matter, I still don't like her," Issei stated as he took a seat at his desk and latched his black leather case to the side of the desk.

"Why's that?" Shirou asked although his mind was currently trying to grapple other thoughts. 'Who was that girl she was with? I've never seen her before, and she did have a really strange name. I wonder if it's British or something, she didn't really look Japanese,' Shirou thought to himself as his friend simply shook his head in response to his question.

"I don't know, although she's the idol of almost every guy in the school I still get this bad vibe off of her. Although, it might just be me so just ignore my little rant," Issei stated dismissively as he waved his hand.

"Alright," Shriou muttered with a nod as he left Issei's side and went to take a seat at his desk.

Seconds later Taiga came barreling into the room kicking up a cloud of dust behind her before losing her footing a falling head over heals onto the floor with a loud thud. She then laid there motionless.

"Whoa, do you think she's dead?" one of the students inquired from his desk.

"Nah, try poking her," another suggested.

"Huh? No, just do "that"," a female student stated.

"Yeah, let's do "that"!" another student shouted in agreement.

"Alright 1, 2, 3! WAKE UP TIGER!" a majority of the students shouted simultaneously.

Taiga immediately shot up and shouted "DON'T CALL ME TIGER!" while shaking a fist vehemently in the air.

Meanwhile Shirou simply sat at his desk with his head in his hands looking mortified as he released and exasperated sigh. 'This is getting a little out of hand,' he thought to himself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At noon, while other students ate their lunch, Rin made her way to the roof with Archer right behind her. "So have you been able to detect the movement of other servants?" Rin inquired as she made her way over to the gate at overlooked the school grounds.

"Now normally I would say that was a really stupid question considering my class, but amazingly enough I have a similar ability that reaches out farther then my normal ability to detect movement. I can detect those servants who've already been summoned, they're relative distance from us, and at close range I can determine some of their weaker Noble Phantasms," Archer stated as she walked up beside Rin and looked out over the grounds as well. "It seems to me that Caster, Assassin, Berserker, Lancer, and Rider have been summoned, and they are definitely in this area. Well except for Berserker who seems to residing on the outskirts of the city towards the mountains," Archer stated with a small frown.

"You're not a normal Archer are you? I thought only Caster could do something like that?" Rin inquired as she raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Hmm, I suppose I'm not and you're right. Normally only a Caster could do something like that," Archer thought to herself with an even deeper frown finding its way onto her face. "Well to be honest it would be a lot easier to answer your questions if I had my memories."

"Are you blaming me for that?" Rin deadpanned without bothering to look at the red head at her side.

"No, it's probably partially my fault, just like not being able to conceal my presence," Archer stated with a small sad smile. "I only offer constructive criticism Rin-chan, don't think that I seek to blame you for everything."

Rin stood silent for a moment before she turned around and began to walk off. "Come on, let's take a look around."

Meanwhile, Shirou and Issei was busy enjoying lunch in the Student Government office.

"Hmm, I'll take one of these," Issei stated as he picked up a meatball out of Shirou's bentou.

"Okay, but isn't your bentou a little plain?" Shirou inquired as he looked down at Issei's bentou with a frown. "I understand that you're the successor of a temple, doesn't that mean you're forbidden to eat meat?"

"It's not an anachronism like that," Issei responded dismissively as Shirou poured himself a cup of tea. "It's just my father's taste," he stated with a small prayer before he bit down on the meatball and began chewing. After swallowing he poured himself a cup of tea and cleared his throat. "Anyway, did you hear what happened in the second chome (area designation in Japan) this morning?" Issei inquired as he sipped his steaming cup of tea.

Images from earlier that morning flashed in Shriou's head as he set down his chopsticks and regarded his friend with concern evident in his eyes. "Oh yeah, what was that all about?" he asked.

"It was a homicide," Issei stated simply as he took another sip of his tea. "I don't know any of the specifics, but they say it was a break-in robbery. A four member family was assaulted. The weapon used sounded really odd…it was long, kind of like a daggers or small knives. But there's one that's even worse, apparently a family was assaulted by some type of shadow like specter. While there was no real evidence other than an eye witness report, the family was found dead in their homes and it seemed like toxic gas might have been what killed them. However since there was no gas leaking in the house the investigation team immediately ruled that out," Issei stated as he took another sip of tea. "Gas spill incidents seem to be happening everyday in Shinto, we have sword testing killer, a shadow killer, and curfew is going to get even high..."Issei was about to finish before Shirou slammed his hands on the table knocking over their respective lunches. "Is there something wrong Shirou?"

"So did they get the suspect in that homicide incident at least?" Shirou inquired with concern etched into his features.

"No," Issei responded darkly causing Shirou to gasp. "Don't even think that they're going to get him; they don't even have any clues." Looking in his friend's direction he noted the pained expression on the young man's face. "Are you okay Emiya-kun?" Issei inquired as Shirou raised his head to met Issei's navy blue eyes.

"I'm fine," Shirou stated with weary grin, "I guess I just got surprised hearing this all of a sudden."

"Sorry," Issei offered by way of apology.

"For what? Don't worry about it," Shirou stated as he cleaned up the mess he made by slamming his hands on the table.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After school Shirou hopped on the bus and headed toward the convince store where he worked at. Unfortunately he was early so he decided to take a stroll around a familiar spot.

'Wow, this place is still the same,' he thought to himself as he walked down a narrow path full of dead and blackened trees. 'Nothings changed,' he continued to think to himself as he sat down on a wooden bench. 'Why is it like this? I can't accept this Dad. Why is it so hard?'

**Flashback**

"_That's a difficult question," Kiritsugu stated as he continued to fan himself with a paper fan. He was currently donning a navy blue kimono as was a young Shirou who sat munching on a piece of watermelon watching the fireflys and looking at the night sky. "What you're saying is that you want to save everything, and why is that hard?" Kiritsugu inquired as he continued to fan himself._

"_Dad you saved me when I was near-death," Shirou stated taking a moment to stop eating his watermelon, "So can't you do the same for everyone?"_

"_Saving one person means not being able to save another," Kiritsugu stated with a solemn expression on his face._

**End Flashback**

'I know; I can understand what dad meant to say,' Shirou thought to himself as he hefted a stack of wooden boxes through the store, 'However, I simply cannot accept it. Innocent people are dying everyday, and no matter how hard you try only a few of the many are ever saved.' 'That's so unfair,' he continued to think to himself as he laid a few bottles of whine on racks within a freezer. "It's not right that not everyone can be saved. So I…I...," Shirou thought to himself as he sat the last bottle onto the shelf. Taking off his apron and collecting his belongings Shirou slipped back on his beige school jacket and headed toward the door while saying his goodbyes. He then headed down the street on his way home.

As he continued on his trek through the suburbs on his way home he noted that no one was outside. "I guess that makes sense, especially with everything that's been going on lately," Shriou said to himself as he looked down another empty street. However, upon reaching the final leg of his journey he ran into a strange figure. Dressed in a purple coat, matching hat, a pair of violet boots, and white scarf the little girl that stood before him had a creepy angelic quality about her. Her long snow white hair extended down to small of her back and her pale skin was almost as white as her hair. Said girl stood before him with a warm smile on her face and began to approach him.

Briskly walking past him she whispered a few words with a the same smile still on her lips. "If you don't hurry up and summon your servant, you're going to die, Oniichan." With that said she continued quietly on her way down the street leaving a very puzzled Shirou in her wake.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Really Shirou-kun! A student like you shouldn't be out this late a night," Taiga stated in a reprimanding tone as she woofed down a bowl of rice.

"I had to work though!" Shirou countered as Sakura handed him a bowl of rice.

"You probably did someone else's too, right?" Taiga countered back with a feral grin.

"If someone's going to benefit from it why not!?" Shirou snapped causing the grin to fall off of Taiga's face.

"God Shirou, I don't know if I should call you a kind person or someone with a loser's attitude," Taiga muttered offhandedly, "Do you think you're Kiritsugu-san or something?" "Why are you always like this?"

"Um, excuse me Fujimura-sensei but has senpai always been like this?" Sakura inquired.

Taiga looked over at the frowning boy and watched him munch on some egg. "Yeah he's always been the type who can't leave a troubled person behind, and Shirou's particularly precocious. He even titled his elementary school essay "I want to be a protector of justice"."

"Wow, that's wonderful!" Sakura exclaimed with a clap of her hands and a warm smile.

"Yeah it's fine for a kid to say that, but unfortunately Shirou still serious about it even now," Taiga stated with a bored expression on her face as she waved a hand dismissively. "You know that's one of the reasons why I worry about…" Taiga started before Shirou got in her face.

"You know I'm going to get really angry if you keep saying stuff like that!" he hissed which in turn caused the older woman to back down in shock. As she tired to back away she bumped into some of the rolled up posters behind her.

"Hmm, what are those?" Shirou inquired forgetting about his outburst.

"Oh these?" Taiga inquired as she picked up one of the posters, got up, and rolled it out. "Just some of the extra poster's I got," she stated with a grin as Shirou observed it. The poster featured three men in either a sailor's uniform, military garb, or air force attire respectively and read "Self Defense Club! Now Recruiting!". "Anyway," Taiga stated drawing Shirou's attention away from the poster for a moment, "Since I had extra I thought I'd give one to you!"

Shirou immediately snatched the poster out of her hands and rolled it back up as his body shook with rage. "I don't want something like this!" he snapped as he tried to bring the poster down on Taiga head only to miss as she ducked and scooped up another silver poster. Taiga immediately countered by bringing her poster down on his head with a loud "DONG!"

The poster in Shirou's hands fell to the floor, Sakura gasped, Taiga smirked triumphantly, and Shirou simply glared at the older woman in disgust. "You're ten years too early to hit a Kendo five-dan like me!" Taiga stated with a feral grin.

"That's not the problem…" Shirou muttered as he tried to contain his rage. "What's wrapped inside of that poster?" he inquired as his body started shaking.

"OH! Sorry about that, I forgot this was the iron version I got for my store points!" Taiga exclaimed causing Sakura to gasp again.

"YOU MEAN IT'S FREAKIN' METAL!" Shirou bellowed as his eyes went wide.

"Senpai are you alright?" Sakura inquired as she watched the exchange with concern evident on her face. Needless to say the rest of the night was pretty subdued affair.

After dinner Shirou and company said there farewells and Taiga set out to walk Sakura home. Shirou then trekked across the back yard and entered the old warehouse where he pulled out two iron pipes and set them on the floor. "Trace…on," he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and again the same pale green line lit up his magic circuit. "Basic substance defined. Material composition defined," Shirou thought to himself as his eyes slowly cracked open.

**Flashback**

'_Dad told me a long time ago, that I was actually a magician.' Shirou thought to himself as the memory of his father and himself walking down a bridge together played through his head. In the water were several rectangular lanterns that glowed warmly in the cool night. 'He was telling the truth. Having learned numerous mystical subjects he fought against society's structure and problems and was a true born magician who helped people. I admired the person he was, and to me he was like a hero.'_

'_Even so, I don't have much talent for sorcery, nor do I have the magic mark that is proof that one is a magician. But I seem to have one sorcery that I can do pretty impressively, and if I just concentrate on improving that one skill one day I can be like dad. I can save others just like he saved me. I can keep my oath to use my talents to help others and I can be come the protector of justice.'_

**End Flashback**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you think?" Rin inquired as she stood on the roof of a skyscraper looking down at the night scene below. She was currently donning the same outfit she had worn when she summoned Archer who also stood at her side sporting her usual garments. "This place has a good view right?" she asked and Archer simply nodded her head in response.

"It probably would have been better to come up here in the first place, instead of doing all of that walking," Archer deadpanned.

"What are you talking about? All you gather from up here is a view of the city," Rin stated with a frown. "I mean you can't even grasp the arrangement of the city unless you actually go there."

"Not quite master," Archer stated with a feral smirk, "Papa thought me a useful technique."

"Papa?" Rin inquired with a frown as she raised a weary eyebrow. "How old are you Archer?"

Archer simply frowned in response to the question before whistling nervously.

"Don't make me use a command spell," Rin warned with a frown as the emerald eyed girl released an exasperated sigh.

"I think I was sixteen, possibly seventeen, I really don't know," Archer admitted before adding, "But that's beside the point." Ignoring the look of shock in Rin's green eyes she continued, "Anyway, like I was saying. While it isn't possible for me to see great distances, it is possible for me to get a detailed view of those things in relatively close range. Like I can see that family of three eating dinner it that window over there."

Rin followed the girl's finger to a skyscraper a ways off into the distance. Shaking off the shock of the young woman's earlier admission Rin's eyed her skeptically before asking, "Really?"

"Yes," Archer stated as they leapt off of the building and flew glided through the night sky. "I already know you're trying to test me Master. Even though you kind of botched the summoning I can tell you're still a superior master."

"You're quite perceptive," Rin stated with a smirk.

"Whatever Master," Archer countered with a smirk of her own, "I just hope you're ready for what's about to happen in this city."

"You too," Rin warned forbiddingly.

"Are you kidding? I live for this shit!" Archer said with a smug smile which promptly fell to an apologetic grin once she notice Rin's icy glare. "Sorry, I think I heard someone say that once. I just thought it sounded cool," Archer apologized sheepishly as she heard Rin mutter something unflattering about teenagers and Servants.

**To Be Continued**

Author's Note: Wow! This has to be one of the longest opening chapters I have ever written! But most of it is just taken from the game and anime anyway….riiiight. Okay, well don't judge the story too harshly yet because the major plot alterations only start up after chapter 2 or so, so please be patient. Also, for those of you who know who Midori's/Archer's father is kudos, unless of course you played the game or looked it up somewhere. Anyway, good luck trying to guess who her mother is but I'll give you a hint she is part of Shirou's harem.

On a side note this story will be loosely based on the Heaven's Feel arc of the game with snipits from other arcs as well as some slight mentions of Tsukihime in season 2 which will lead to another fan fic. Overall this will be an original take on the story and I promise to make Shirou a badass by the end of it! Anyway, as always please review and feel free to flame.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it, but if I did it definitely would have been translated for a North American release if not South America.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 2: One Fateful Night**

**Flashback**

"_I'll being going then. You know how to take care of things from now on don't you?" a man dressed in a blood red suit, a white dress shirt, and brown leather shoes stated as he stared down at a young Rin who simply stared at him blankly in response. He was a slightly pale man with ashen black hair, and a small goatee. His dark blue eyes, which were usually cold and calculating, brimmed with affection as he looked down at his first child._

_Both were currently standing outside of the gate to a circular red brick building. It was late in the evening and the large oak trees that surrounded them were tinted orange by the sinking sun in the distance._

_Rin, who was currently donning a white dress shirt and a long grey skirt, nodded affirmatively. She watched as the man dug in his breast pocket and took out a chain with a strange triangular gem hanging from it. He then handed it to Rin who cautiously stuck her hand out and accepted the trinket. 'Back then my child like thinking could tell that this person wouldn't be coming back.'_

_The man then ruffled the green eyed girl's raven hair affectionately causing her to elicit a girlish giggle in response. He then turned and walked off leaving Rin standing in front of a large metal gate. 'A war had begun, but not one between countries. It was a war between seven magicians.'_

"_Rin the Holy Grail will appear eventually," the man's voice rang cryptically within the confines of her mind. "Obtaining that artifact is the duty and the inevitable destiny of the Tohsaka family. You will be alright on your own."_

**End Flashback**

Rin's eyelids slowly fluttered open and she gazed out of the slightly open window at the pure white sunlight streaming into her otherwise dark room. Rising slowly from underneath her violet sheets she reached out onto the nightstand and retrieved the exact same sparkling necklace from the dream. Clad only in her canary yellow nightgown she gazed longingly at the stone as she brushed a stray strand of her loose raven locks from her eyes. Her mind was flooded with the memories of what had happened the other night. Turning around she sat on the edge of her king size bed contemplating her situation.

"I couldn't summon Saber, even though I've been working so hard for these past ten years…" she thought to herself solemnly as she continued to gaze longingly at the gem in her hand. "I've worked so hard to summon the strongest class and all I ended up with was some bizarre Archer who isn't even older then me."

"Master! Breakfast is ready as you requested!" Archer shouted from downstairs.

"Well at least she can cook some descent meals," Rin said to herself with a small smile as she got up and walked into the bathroom in order to get ready for school.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is delicious!" Rin exclaimed as she dug into the spread set out before her on the wooden dinning room table.

"I happy that it meets your approval master," Archer stated as she continued to eat her rice in relative silence. After a moment she decided to speak up again, "I heard you upstairs you know."

This statement made Rin choke on the piece of fish she had been eating and she stared wide eyed at the emerald eyed girl before her.

"I assure you that my class determines nothing when it comes to my strength. I can more then adequately protect you against any other servants," Archer deadpanned as she continued to chew on a mouthful of rice. After her comment both sat in silence for a moment

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied with you or anything, it's just that I feel kind of disappointed in myself," Rin stated solemnly breaking the silence again.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, your skill alone is enough to contend with a weaker servant. If we combine our power then we'll be unbeatable and no one can stop us from obtaining the Grail if that is your desire," Archer stated as she sipped a cup of tea.

"If that is my desire? What do you mean, isn't it your desire too?" Rin inquired as she set down her cup of tea on a glass saucer.

"No, the Grail means nothing to me…although to be honest I do not remember why I chose to become a Heroic Spirit in the first place. However, something tells me that I will find it in this time, and that it's definitely a someone instead of a something," Archer stated with a frown as she finished the last of her tea and started to collect the dishes. "We should hurry up otherwise we're going to be late for school," Archer stated as she set the dishes in the sink and ran some water on them.

"So you really don't remember anything? I want you to be honest with me because I deserve to know something about my servant," Rin stated as she walked up beside the girl and started drying the dishes she had washed.

Archer sighed as she rubbed her temples with her slender soapy fingers. "All I can remember is my name…Midori, my father named me that because of my eyes," Midori stated solemnly. It was silent for a moment as the girls continued to wash the dishes, but Archer decided to break the silence again. "You know master, you remind me of someone…I think. Someone from my past. I'm not sure if that helps at all, but I just thought I get that off my chest," Midori stated as she finished washing the last of the dishes and dried her hands on a dish towel.

"Is that so," Rin replied with a soft smile. "Well is that a compliment or an insult?" she inquired as they both walked to the front door.

Stopping momentarily Archer brought a finger to her lip with a thoughtful look on her face. "To be honest it's actually a good thing…although I can't remember much I remember that I always felt warm and safe around her," Archer stated as she slipped on her shoes and stepped out the door.

"Warm and safe huh?" Rin said to herself with a small smile. 'She really is nothing more then a kid,' Rin thought to herself as both girls started on their trek toward Homura Academy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow, you sure made a lot again Sakura-chan! Can we even finish all of this!?" Shirou exclaimed as he gazed down at the table full of food below him.

"Well part of that is for lunch," Taiga stated as she pointed her chopsticks at a dish across the table. "My purse is empty, so you saved me, Sakura-chan!" Taiga added with a clap of her hands.

"This is your lunch, Fuji-nee?" Shirou inquired as he eyed his guardian incredulously. "You know that forcing Sakura to make your lunch is an abuse of your power as sensei," Shirou stated reprimandingly as he continued to eye his guardian.

"It's okay sempai, they're the same dishes I used to prepare my lunch," Sakura stated softly as she handed him a bowl of rice. However as she reached out to hand Shirou the bowl he caught a glimpse of mark running down Sakura's arm.

"Thanks, but can I ask you what that is on your arm?" Shriou asked as he watched the girl's eyes widen in surprise and she quickly recoiled.

"It's nothing senpai!" she quickly exclaimed as she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

"Has Shinji been hitting you?" Shirou continued to press as he eyed the lavender haired girl skeiptically.

"HE WHAT!?" Taiga bellowed with a death glare as she slammed her fist on the table. "IS THAT TRUE SAKURA-CHAN!? HAS SHINJI-SAN BEEN HITTING YOU!? CAUSE IF HE HAS I'LL TEAR HIM TO PIECES!"

"No! No!" the timid girl cried out as her eyes went wide with fright. "He hasn't done anything to me! I'm fine, really!" Sakura cried almost pleadingly, "Can we please just drop it?"

Shirou eyed her skeptically for a moment but decided not to press the issue sensing the girl's discomfort. However Taiga simply sat at her end of the table brooding. Needless to say breakfast was a pretty subdued affair after that.

After Taiga ran of shouting she was late again the duo washed the dishes and set out for school again. As they walked down the street Shirou decided to ask her about her arm one last time.

"So what did happen to your arm?" Shirou inquired as they waited for the crossing light to switch to green.

"I…I don't know," Sakura stated wearily, "But Shinji didn't hit me."

"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll just let it drop since it's making you so uncomfortable," Shriou stated with an exasperated sigh. "But if there is a problem I want you to tell me okay?"

"Of course senpai, and thank you," Sakura replied with a small smile as the light turned green and the pair crossed the street.

"Anyway, I really apprieciate you coming over and helping out but don't forget about doing stuff for yourself. You come first you know, don't worry about me so much," Shirou stated with a frown.

"It's not a problem senpai, when I'm not at school or archery club I don't have much else to do. Really it's no trouble at all," Sakura stated with a small smile.

"Okay, but just don't wear yourself out," Shirou conceded as they approached the entrance to the school. Just as they were about to enter Sakura notice a small trail of blood leaking down Shirou's hand.

"Senpai! Your hand!" she exclaimed causing the young man to stop mid-stride and exam his hand.

"Huh? When did I get this?" he inquired as he gazed down at the wound. "Ah, I probably got it when I was fooling around with that junk last night," he stated dismissively, "Don't worry about it, it'll be healed in a second."

"Alright senpai, if you say so," Sakura replied with uncertainty in her voice but she smiled despite herself.

"G'morning Emiya-kun!" a gruff feminine voice sounded from behind the pair.

"Huh? Oh it's you Mitsuzuri-kun!" exclaimed as he turned to face a young woman donning the school uniform and holding a black leather case. Her brown hair extended down slightly past the nape of her neck and she had slightly slanted amber eyes similar to Shirou's.

"Hey what do you mean, "It's you"?" Mitsuzuri questioned playfully as she grinned at the pair. "I swear you're still as rude as ever, Emiya-kun," Mitsuzuri stated as she continued to approach the duo.

"Well I'll be going then, it seems like you all have something to discuss," Sakura said as she tried to excuse herself.

"Alright Sakura-chan, just be careful okay," Shirou stated in a fatherly tone as he gazed at the lavender eyed girl with concern evident in his eyes.

"Okay senpai," Sakura replied with an affirmative nod before turning toward Mitsuzuri. "Excuse me senpai."

"Yeah, see you later Sakura-chan," Mitsuzuri stated with a small smile and wave as the younger girl turned and left.

"So how are things going with the archery Mitsuzuri-chan?" Shirou inquired as they fell in step and started to walk toward the school.

"Not bad, although you should come and take a look for yourself sometime," Mitsuzuri replied. "And if you could baby-sit Shinji for me that would be great too," she mumbled as she came to a stop remembering what happened yesterday evening.

"What did Shinji do?" Shirou inquired with a hint of concern in his eyes. He couldn't imagine his one time best friend getting too out of line.

"Well he's been going way overboard lately," Mitsuzuri responded with a frown. "I mean the second eyes are off of him he just loses it. In fact not too long ago he made complete beginners look like idiots in front of a group of girls," she stated as they continued on their walk towards the school building. "He actually made them look like complete fools until they actually hit a target!" she exclaimed.

Upon reaching their lockers Shirou spoke up again. "Don't tell me you're just going to let him…" he began in a frustrated tone of voice before Mitsuzuri cut him off again.

"Of course I'm not going to let him go on like that!" she snapped as she slammed her locker shut after pulling out her school shoes. "Unfortunately I can't be around the dojo at all times so there's no way I can catch him in the act when he does act up! Even when I try to question him, he just runs away laughing. That kid does nothing more then piss me off!" Mitsuzuri bellowed as she shook a fist vehemently in the air and frowned deeply.

"But what's Shinji actually thinking. I should probably talk to him about this and Sakura," Shirou muttered to himself off to the side.

"I can only think he's acting this way because he got rejected by Tohsaka and her new friend," Mitsuzuri continued as they began their walk toward their respective homerooms.

"Tohsaka, and the new girl?" Shirou inquired as he eyed the amber eyed girl next to him skeptically.

"Well yeah! And you already know that Shinji-san has a ridiculously high amount of pride in himself. Receiving a rejection from Tohsaka-san must have dealt a hefty blow to that pride of his. Not only that but the new girl laughed in his face and didn't even respond to the question before walking off," Mitsuzuri explained with a grin.

"Wow that is pretty bad and you're probably right," Shriou muttered as he stopped at his homeroom, classroom 2-C. "Don't worry though; I'll talk to him about it."

"Thanks Emiya-kun, I owe you one," Mitsuzuri stated with a small smile and a wave as she turned around and continued walking. After that things went along as they normally did Fujimura-sensei busted into class, tripped and busted her face, the class called her tiger, and she proceeded to threaten to rip everyone a new one. After class, however, was a different story.

As Shirou ran down the crowded hall to catch up with Shinji he thought of how he was going to handle the situation. 'Even though Shinji has been my friend since junior high, and even if he's Sakura's brother, I cannot allow him to hurt her if that's the case,' Shirou thought to himself as he caught up with the wavy blue haired boy who was currently donning the school uniform.

"Hey Shinji, mind if I have a word with you in private?" Shirou asked as the blue eyed boy looked him over and clicked his tongue in what might have been disgust.

"Fine, but lets make this quick," Shinji stated as he directed Shirou over toward an empty stairwell where they wouldn't be disturbed. Upon arriving at the stairwell Shinji stopped in front of a banister and leaned over it looking down several flights of stairs.

"What do you want Emiya? It's too early in the morning for this," Shinji growled in annoyance without bothering to look up at the amber eyed young man to his side.

"Actually there are a few things I wanted to ask you," Shirou responded as he joined Shinji in leaning over the banister. "First things first, how are things going during practice?" Shirou inquired without bothering to look at Shinji.

"Now why would an archery club dropout like you be worried about that?" Shinji inquired with a dark chuckle and a feral grin on his slender face. "If you must know the records have definitely improved since I've been there," Shinji stated with a smug smile that oozed conceit.

"I see, well then just tell me if can help with anything," Shirou stated with a nod still not bothering to look in the other boys direction, although his facial expression visibly hardened. "Now the only reason I asked that first is because I needed something to break the ice. Please don't take any offense from me asking this, but today I noticed some strange markings on Sakura's arms," Shirou began slowly as he breathed in deeply and released a tired sigh. "Shinji have you been hitting Sakura-chan?" Shirou asked as he finally turned to face the blue eyed boy who did the same.

Shinji was scowling as he answered the red heads question. "No, and what concern of it is yours!" he snapped as he pushed himself off the banister and was about to storm off before Shirou spoke up again.

"Well that's good, because if you were I'd have to teach why you don't hit girls…especially Sakura-chan. Even if she is your sister, and even though you are my friend I won't hesitate to protect her," Shirou stated in an uncharacteristically dark tone of voice.

Shinji stood in shock for a few seconds trying to take in what the young man just said before he simply scoffed and stormed off even more enraged. After that Shirou headed back to class and everything continued to play out as it normally did.

Meanwhile Rin sat in class 2-A silently brooding as she took notes. "Hey Archer do you feel that?" she whispered as she looked over at said red head who was currently resting her head on her hand taking a nap.

A small trail of drool rolled down her cheek causing her head to slide of her hand and smash into her desk with a loud "THUD!" Everyone in the class whipped around to see what the loud noise had been and many were surprised to find Archer still sleeping, albeit with a big red mark on her forehead. She then mumbled something inaudible before she rolled over and fell out her chair with a loud "SLAM!".

'You've got to be kidding me!' Rin mentally moaned as she smacked her face with a hand and dragged it down her face. Suddenly the bell rang and class ended for lunch.

"Owie," Archer moaned as she clutched her aching head and slowly rose to her feet bracing herself against her desk for support.

"Why were you sleeping during class," Rin growled as she approached the moaning girl.

"Because Yuimara-sensei is soooo boring," she drawled as she gingerly touched the red mark on her forehead.

"Kami," Rin grumbled to herself as she ran a hand through her hair. "Anyway, do you sense it?" Rin inquired as they two girls walked out of the classroom and headed toward the roof.

"Yeah, I can sense him but it doesn't make any sense," Archer stated with a frown as the emerged on top of the roof and walked toward the metal fence.

"Why is that?" Rin inquired as she stopped in front of the fence and over looked the school grounds.

"It's another Archer," Archer deadpanned as she too looked out onto the grounds.

"What!?" Rin cried out in disbelief as she whipped her head around to face her servant. "How is that possible, there can only be one of a servant class per war!?"

"I know, that's why I can only think that he, or she, is a remnant from a war long past," Archer stated with a smug smile as she continued to look out onto the school grounds and watched people enjoying their lunches. "That also means that he's pretty strong if that is the case."

"Why are you smiling about that?" Rin inquired as she eyed the emerald eyed girl incredulously.

"Because that means I'll finally have a challenge," Archer stated with a dark chuckle.

Rin simply observed the girl's demeanor for a moment before sighing and leaning against the fence. "Whatever, can you sense his intentions?" Rin asked as she looked over her shoulder at the grounds.

"Yes, he seems to be waiting for a chance to strike although I'm not sure when," Archer stated as she leaned against the fence as well. "Either way it goes I'm done for today. I don't think I can take another boring lecture and keep my sanity," Archer stated with a yawn as she slumped down the fence and closed her eyes.

"Get up," Rin moaned as she grabbed the red head up by her collar and dragged her toward the door kicking and screaming like a child. "Anyway we're going to wait until there's no one here to get in the way and then we'll make our move."

"Fine, but just let me gooooo! I don't wanna have to sit through another lecture!" Archer cried out childishly as false tears streamed down her face while she trashed wildly.

"Shut up and have a lollipop," Rin snapped as she dug a red lollipop out of her blazer pocket and shoved it in the girls mouth effectively silencing her.

"Mhmm, strawberry," Archer moaned blissfully as she sucked on her lolli.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So do you think you can fix it? I think it's just too old," Issei stated from of to the side as Shirou sat before an old broken television.

Shirou sat looking pensive for a moment before he smiled up at his friend who was currently standing by the window. "Well you know if it's dead there's nothing I can do about it," Shirou politely informed.

"I guess in can't be fixed then," Issei replied with a small frown as he turned away from his friend for a moment with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey Issei, could you grab my tools from my locker? Shirou inquired as he stood up for a moment.

"Huh? Um, okay," Issei responded as he eyed his red haired friend skeptically.

"Don't worry, it's too early for it to die," Shirou responded with a wink.

"Right! Thanks!" Issei stated with a broad grin as he turned to leave. However just as he reached the door he stopped abruptly. "Hey Shirou, mind if I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure but I don't know how much of a help I'll be," Shirou responded honestly as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well what advice would you give a younger man who's currently involved with an older woman?" Issei asked as he turned to face his friend with a crimson blush evident on his cheeks.

"Um, sorry but I don't have much expertise in that area," Shirou responded with a sheepish chuckle as he scratched the nape of his neck nervously. "Why do you ask? Are you currently romantically involved with an older woman or something?" Shirou inquired with a devious grin.

"No! I mean yes! I mean none of your business!" Issei snapped in panicked voice as he fanned his arms in exaggerated motions. "I'm going to get your tools now," Issei stated in a subdued tone of voice.

"Sorry if I offended you, I was just joking," Shirou apologized with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about it," Issei stated waving it off and heading out the door and down the hall.

'Hmm, I wonder what he could be up to. I thought he was scarred of women, period,' Shirou thought to himself with a small smile as he turned around. 'Oh well, better hurry up and do this before he comes back. Trace on."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Oh man, I didn't expect it to take that long,' Shirou thought to himself as he walked down the orange tinned walkway. The sun was setting and Shirou knew that it would be dark long before he got home.

"Hey Emiya, you're still here?" a familiar voice called out from over by the archery club dojo. Turning around Shirou saw Shinji flocked by his usual groupies standing in front of the archery club dojo. "Wow you must not have much to do seeing how as you're still here when it's this late. I must say I am jealous," Shinji stated smugly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

As Shirou approached the blue haired boy he noted the smug smile on his face but decided that it was nothing. "I wasn't goofing off, I was helping the student government fix some of the equipment," Shirou countered with a small sigh.

"Ah so not only do you protect the weak and down trodden, but you're also a student government ass kisser," Shinji stated with a dark chuckle. "Well if you don't mind, could you take care of our chores too?" Shinji asked as he jabbed a thumb in the direction of the dojo behind him. Flicking a stray strand of his wavy blue locks out of his face he continued, "You know the dojo gets pretty messy and I'm really busy. You wouldn't mind helping me out would you Emiya?"

"What?" one of the groupies cried out indignantly, "Wait didn't Fujimura-sensei tell you to clean it out Mato-senpai?"

"Oh, but if we spend out time cleaning up the store will close before we get there," Shinji countered with faux disappointment dripping from his voice. "Why not let this person over here take care of it for us?" Shinji asked as his smug smile found it's way back onto his face.

"But isn't that wrong," another groupie inquired.

"I don't hear Emiya complaining," Shinji pointed out as he turned to face Shirou who simply smiled in response.

"Sure, why not, after all I'm pretty free," Shirou stated with a small smile.

"Then it's settled," Shinji exclaimed before Shirou even finished his sentence as he turned around to face his groupies. "Lets go girls."

"But senpai, is it really okay?" another groupie asked as Shinji hooked and arm around her neck.

"Of course, of course," Shinji stated as they walked off toward the school entrance. "This guy always loves to help out," he drawled sarcastically as he walked past a genuinely smiling Shirou.

"Ewww, that's unbelievable!" one groupie cried out as she chased after Shinji.

"Is he stupid?" another asked.

"Hey he'll hear you!" another hissed.

Shirou simply smiled in response as he turned to face the dojo. "Well then, let's do a thorough job," Shirou said to himself as he walked toward the dojo.

Later that night Shirou was putting the finishing touches on the gyms wooden floor and he ran some floor polish over them. The navy blue sleeves of his long sleeve tee-shirt were rolled up as were his the legs of his pants.

Meanwhile Rin and Archer were sitting on the roof waiting patiently. Well Rin was waiting patiently, Archer was playing solitaire for the tenth time in a row.

"Aww man!" Archer whined as she collected the cards again and began to re-shuffle. "I lost again," she moaned with a frown.

"Could you be a little more serious!?" Rin hissed as got up from her spot against the fence and snatched the cards out of the red heads hands.

"Aww, fine you party pooper," Archer stated as her body began to glow a pale white light and then emerged in her usual battle attire. "Anway, I guess it's for the best because he'll be attacking now," Archer stated with a yawn as she cracked her neck.

"Yes, I can already sense his immense killing aura," Rin agreed with a small nod.

"Immense doesn't do it justice master, this guy is a killing machine," Archer stated with a grin. "Things are going to get fun tonight," she stated as she cracked her knuckles, "He'll be here any minute now."

"My, my, what a waste of my talents," a boisterous male voice announce from atop the fence behind Rin and Archer. Looking up both girls noticed a man donning exquisite gold armor and his blond hair was spiked up in an exaggerated style. His cold blood red eyes were calculating and the feral grin on his thin lips was disconcerting.

"Although I must say your servant is adorable," the man added with a smug smile. "However, allow me to introduce myself. I am Gilgamesh the "King of Heroes", and I just thought you might like to know that before you died," he stated as and orange/red pool appeared behind him. Within the pool were several blades, each exquisite in their own way. Pulling out one at random he drew a out a large sterling silver broad sword with intricate Celtic designs on its blade and the hilt made of pure onyx.

"Is that the best he's got," Archer deadpanned as she finished cracking her neck with a smug smile set in place. "I just need your order's master," she stated as the outline of an ebony long bow appeared in her hands and then materialized.

"Let's get off the roof first, that way we can fight on solid ground," Rin whispered as she dashed off toward the opposite end of the roof.

"So be it," Archer stated with a frown as she glared at Gilgamesh before following after her master. Gilgamesh immediately gave chase and followed after the two girls at a blistering pace.

Rin immediately jumped off the roof with Archer only a foot behind her. "Archer take care of my landing!" she called out as Archer dived head first past her and shot straight past her like a bullet. Just as the red head was about to hit the ground she did a 180 mid air and landed on her feet with just enough time to reach out and catch Rin in her waiting arms.

Rin quickly jumped out of the girl's arms and continued running. "Okay, so that must be the Archer you were telling me about. Funny how he uses a sword instead of a bow," Rin stated with a small smile.

"It makes no difference," Archer stated with a small smile as she noticed a familiar orange/red glow appear from behind them.

"Well if you're going to run I'm not going to make it easy on you," Gilgamesh warned as several blades appeared out of the void again.

"Master I'll take care of his Noble Phantasms, you just find somewhere to hide," Archer stated as she stopped, pivoted on her heel, and aimed her bow.

Rin regarded her servant with a puzzled expression in her eyes as she observed that the bow had no arrows in it. "What exactly are you going to fire at him?" Rin asked.

"Don't worry about it, just hide behind something!" Archer snapped as the blades behind Gilgamesh started to glow a bright yellow.

"Gate of Bablylon King's Treasury!" Gilgamesh cried out as the glowing blades behind him fired out like missiles straight at Archer who didn't even make an attempt to move.

"So he really is the great Sumerian King, huh?" Archer muttered to herself with a dark chuckle. 'Well time to bring him down a peg or two,' she thought to herself as a black void appeared in the hand pulling back the quiver. "Ten Thousand Shadows!" Archer bellowed as she released the void which transformed into thousands of arrow like projectiles which not only stopped Gilgamesh's projectiles mid-air, but a few actually pierced his armor.

"Incredible!" Rin exclaimed from the bushes she was currently hiding behind. "Such power, maybe I don't need a Saber after all!" Rin said to herself excitedly as she watched her servant lower her bow with a smug smile on her face. 'To think that someone who acts the way she does could be such a great fighter!'

"GAH!" Gilgamesh cried out pain as the arrows pierced his skin causing him to cough up blood. "Bitch! No one does that to me!" he hissed as he glared at the grinning archer before him as he clutched his chest in pain. Wiping the blood of his chin he summoned the void behind him again, but this time he retrieved a strange blade from within its murky depths. The blade featured a gold hilt designed much like a French rapier, but the blade seemed to be a solid black and red swirling void that strangely resembled ancient cuneiform writings.

"I thought I'd have a little fun with you and your master, but now I'm just going to kill you!" he cried out as the blade began to glow a vibrant red.

"Uh oh," Archer muttered to herself as a frown found its way onto her face. 'I was trying to save these up, but I guess I have no choice,' she thought to herself as her bow dematerialized and the outline of two katana formed in her hands. Within half a second they had materialized into one white silver bladed sword with strange blue kanji symbols on the black hilt, and the other an onyx blade with white hilt featuring more strange red kanji.

"Don't think those false blades will scare me!" Gilgamesh hissed, "There's no way any imagined Murasame or Masamune blade can defeat me!" "Now die! Enuma Elish!" Gilgamesh cried out as a giant blast of pink and red energy erupted from his blade distorting the very time and space of the surrounding area.

"Damn!" Archer hissed as she put her swords up in a defensive stance. The sheer amount of energy was enough to obliterate the baseball diamond and courtyard they were currently standing in but unfortunately for Gilgamesh Archer still stood strong after the attack had passed. However she did look extremely winded and her armor was slightly singed.

'Damn, I can't afford to block another attack like that! My master doesn't have enough mana for that!' she thought to herself with a frown. 'If only she had a bit more this would be easy!' Archer thought to herself as she lowered her blades and growled at Gilgamesh who simply yawned as if he was bored.

"While I applaud you ability to survive my attack, in the end it means nothing," Gilgamesh stated as his blade began to glow again.

"Oh right, like I'm going to let you use that again!" Archer hissed as she charged Gilgamesh with her blades drawn back ready to strike.

"Enuma Elish!" cried out again as the energy swirled around his blade.

"Idiot, what did I just tell you!? 10,000 Winters, Yawaraka-Te!" Archer cried out as the blades began to glow. Muramasa glowed a bright red and Masamune glowed a bright blue. Within seconds Muramasa exploded into a 10,000 glowing red blades shaped like icicles that completely dissolved Enuma Elish into dust and tore through Gilgamesh's armor like a knife though butter causing blood to spray everywhere. Next Masamune swirled around her enhancing her physical prowess to an unimaginable level as she charged a shocked Gilgamesh as dark energy swirled around her fist.

Upon closing in on him she immediately hit him with a round house kick to the head which sent him stumbling back. Before he could regain his bearings she then slammed into his stomach with her elbow causing him to hunch over in pain just before she brought her elbow down on his neck sending him slamming down into the ground creating a giant crater.

"This ends now!" she hissed as Muramasa rematerialized in her hand, but just before she could deliver the finishing blow she heard a gasp from off to the side of the completely demolished baseball field. Standing there was none other then Emiya Shirou who stared wide eyed by what remained of the fence.

"Idiot! Get out of here unless you want to die!" Archer hissed before she felt what must have been a semi-truck slam into her chest sending her reeling back in pain. Looking up through her slightly blurred vision she noticed Gilgamesh smiling smugly as his cuneiform marked blade reappeared in his hands while he pushed himself out of the colossal crater her was in.

"Enuma Elish!" he cried out as the blast tore what was the left of the baseball field asunder. When the blast had dissipated a singed and bloody Archer dropped her arms out of a defensive stance and her blades fell from her hands onto the scorched earth at her feet before disappearing. Her emerald eyes had a distant look to them, almost soulless, as she crumpled bonelessly onto the ground.

"ARCHER!" Rin cried out shrilly as she dashed up from behind her position in the bushes to aid her fallen servant.

"While I'd love to finish you both, it seems that I've spent most of my mana. Although I can sense you have more power then your master's mana restrictions allow you to use. In fact you were probably more powerful in life then you are now in death," Gilgamesh stated as his blade returned to the void and he turned to face Shirou. "However, I have more then enough energy to finish him," Gilgamesh bellowed as the young man's amber eyes went wide with fright.

"Run you idiot!" Rin cried out as she turned to see Shirou still standing by the gate. Her eyes went wide with fright as she desperately yelled for him to run again, but by then it was too late.

Gilgamesh descended upon Shirou within seconds and smiled smugly as he looked down the quivering young man who couldn't even will his feet to move.

"Sorry kid, but these are the rules," Gilgamesh stated with a faux sympathetic tone of voice as claymore appeared in his hand. Before Shirou even had time to react the blade sunk through his chest causing blood to spurt like a geyser out the wound before Gilgamesh even retracted his blade. "See ya' later kid," Gilgamesh stated as he disappeared like a specter leaving Shirou to bleed to death on what remained of the baseball field.

'Is this the end? What about my promises, I have so much left to do' Shirou thought to himself as he thought of his promise to his father. 'Sorry dad, I couldn't become the defender of justice,' Shirou thought as everything went black.

A few seconds later Rin appeared to cheek his pulse. "Damn it!" she hissed when she received to pulse turning the boy over she was finally able to see his face. However it was a face that she never wanted to see in this position. 'No! Not you…anybody else. Just not you,' Rin thought to herself as her eyes went wide in shock. She immediately pulled out her gem from her breast pocket and began a spell.

'Forgive me father,' she thought to herself, 'Your daughter is very cold-hearted. Replace damaged organs with artificial ones and repair the heart simultaneously.' Suddenly the gem began to glow a warm red as soon it melded with Shriou's body.

"Hey when you're done with him why don't you come over here and heal me? After all I'm you're servant and he's just your possible love interest!" Archer cried out weakly from her spot down the field.

Rin blinked a few times, surprised to hear her servant was already up and acting obnoxious, as a crimson blush found it's way onto her cheeks. "She was right," Rin muttered to herself as she stood up and went to attend to her servants wounds, "she isn't an average Archer, because there's no way they could all be this annoying."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my head," Shirou moaned as he awoke to the sensation of a cool breeze whipping against his face. Slowly opening his eyes he almost yelp in shock upon realizing that he was still at school as currently sitting before a gigantic crater in the school's baseball field.

'I'm still alive?' he thought to himself as he looked down at his blood stained shirt in shock. "Well whatever the case maybe, I need to get home before something else happens," Shirou muttered to himself as he rose onto his shaky legs and started on his long walk home.

Meanwhile back at Rin's mansion in her parlor room the duo was discussing Rin's earlier decision to save Shirou's life.

"Soooo, why'd ya' use the jewel again?" Archer inquired as she sipped a cup of white tea.

"Because I wanted to," Rin countered in an irritated tone of voice.

"Alright, no need to get testy. I was just asking because I wanted to point out the fact that our buddy Gil is going to hunt him down until he's dead. You know, since those are the rules and all. No one can see our war remember?" Archer stated with a nonchalant shrug as she sipped her tea again.

However upon realizing that Archer was indeed correct Rin's eyes went wide with fright.

"Let me guess, we're heading over to his place right now," Archer stated with a bored sigh as she downed the last of her tea and stood up while dusting off her slightly charred outfit. "Well let's get a move on then."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'I wonder who saved me,' Shirou thought to himself as he sat outside in his back yard on his wooden deck. "What an odd day today has been," Shirou said to himself with a shrug, "Oh well, at least it's over."

"Or so you'd probably like to think," a familiar male voice sounded from behind him. Slowly turning around Shriou came face to face with a set of blood red irises.

"Surprise kid! I'll kill you a million times if I have to!" Gilgamesh bellowed as he brought his sword down on the amber eyed boy who immediately rolled out of harms way. Getting to his feet he noticed that he had forgot to throw away Taiga's posters like he had planned and right now he was patting himself on the back for it as he grabbed the metal one.

'Trace on!' he thought to himself as he strengthened the metal poster and got into a defensive stance.

"My, my, well isn't this interesting. First a I run into a servant who's only limit is her master, and then I run into a young man who thinks he can defeat the "King of Heroes"," Gilgamesh stated with a small sigh and a chuckled as he descended upon the boy. "Well there's been enough fun for one day so what do you say we finish this?" Gilgamesh inquired as he brought his claymore down on Shirou who immediately blocked it with the metal poster.

"Hmm, surprising," Gilgamesh muttered as he swung his blade trying to land a hit on Shirou who barely managed to block the blow every time. However, within seconds his poster had been broken down into nothing but a wad of metal. Shirou ducked under Gilgamesh's blade at the last second and threw the wad of metal at him only for it to be easily deflected.

"Okay, while that was entertaining it's time for us to end this," Gilgamesh stated as he stifled a yawn while raising his sword into the air. "Goodnight boy!"

'Not again! I won't let it happen again! I've been given this second chance at life and I'm not going to waste it!' Shriou thought as he gritted his teeth and felt a surge of energy flow through him erasing all of his fear. "I wont lose!" Shirou bellowed as he clenched his fist tighter. Suddenly two of the magic circuits within him lit up followed by an eerie red glow on his hand and a bright light exploding between him and Gilgamesh.

Squinting so he could see through the intense brightness of the light Shirou was able to make out a figure clad in armor and a long skirt with metal boots. 'What the?' Shirou thought to himself as the light died down and the figure came into view. Before him stood a blond haired woman clad in silver armor, and a long blue and gold dress deflecting Gilgamesh sword with what seemed to be nothing but air.

"Tch!" Gilgamesh scoffed with a grin as he drew back and held his sword at his side, "Didn't expect to see you again; although I must say this is a pleasant surprise my queen."

The emerald eyed woman simply growled in response as she got into a defensive stance with her invisible blade.

"While I would love to settle this with you, an earlier affair has completely wiped me of all my energy, so we're going to have to settle this later," Gilgamesh stated with a small bow and disappeared right before the woman hollered a battle cry and tried to bring her blade down on his head.

"Damn it!" she hissed before she composed herself and turned around to face Shirou. "Servant Saber. Upon your summoning I have come forth. I ask are you my master?" she inquired as she raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Shirou simply sat dumbfounded as he took in the sight of the beautiful foreigner before him as the full moon bathed her in an ethereal glow.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it!

**Defying Heaven's Feel**

**Episode 3: The True Assassin**

"I ask are you my master?" the blond servant inquired once again as she gazed down at the dumbfounded boy with piercing jade eyes.

"Ma..ster?" Shirou asked in disbelief, his eyes still wide.

"Servant Saber, upon your summoning I have come forth. Master your orders," Saber repeated in a emotionless tone of voice. Shirou continued to stare blankly in disbelief as he clutched his command spell hand with his opposite hand, but Saber continued. "From now on, you will have my sword and your destiny shall be mine. This completes our pact," she finished as Shirou continued to stare blankly at the young woman.

"Who are you?" Shirou asked with a confused expression on his face as he continued to gaze at the golden haired beauty before him.

"Why do you ask? As I told you I am the Saber class servant," Saber stated with a puzzled expression on her face and in her emerald green eyes. "Are you not the one who summoned me? Then you should already know who I am," Saber stated sourly as she continued to eye Shriou as though he had some strange growth growing out of him.

"Saber class Servant?" Shirou responded blankly as he scratched the top of his head in confusion.

"Yes, please address me as Saber," Saber stated in a neutral tone of voice as a brisk night wind blew through the back yard sending an unnoticed chill up Shirou's spine.

"I-I see, well that's a weird name," Shirou stated with a nervous chuckle. "Well in any case I'm Emiya Shirou, and I want to ask…" Shirou started before he was quickly cut off by Saber.

"I understand," Saber stated with a small sigh and a slightly annoyed look in her eyes, "You are not a legitimate Master, correct?"

"Master?" Shirou questioned as he once again stared as Saber blankly.

"But even so, you are my master," Saber interjected with a stern expression on her face. "I have made a pact with you and I will never betray you," she stated as she stared back at Shirou, emerald eyes meeting amber intensely.

"Now wait a minute," Shirou stated with an equally stern expression on his face, "My name isn't "Master"."

Saber looked at Shirou through hard eyes and responded, ""Shriou", then. Yes, I prefer the pronunciation of this name."

"Ow!" Shirou suddenly cried out and winced as he clutched his left arm in pain. "Wha?" Shirou stated as Saber glanced at his hand and then whipped around to survey the estate.

Saber suddenly turned to face Shirou who was still clutching his hand in pain. "Shriou stay behind me," she demanded as she drew her invisible blade again.

"What?" Shriou asked as he looked up from his aching hand with a puzzled look in his eyes. However by then Saber had already sprinted off and jumped over the roof of the estate. Shirou quickly gave chase in hopes of catching her before something happened.

"HAAA!" Saber cried out as she drew her invisible blade back and lashed out with all her might. Bringing her blade down she suddenly felt her body jerk when her blade came to an unsettling halt in the hands of her opponent. "What!?" she snapped as she glared at her opponent incredulously while trying to figure out how someone had caught her weapon barehanded.

"What the hell is up with you blonde!?" Archer snapped indignantly as she twisted Saber's invisible blade out of her hand and flipped it into her own before pointing it at her attacker. "Bet ya' never had your own Noble Phantasm used against you before, huh?" Archer said with a smirk as she poked the tip of the spectral blade into Saber's neck causing the blond to wince slightly as it drew blood.

"SABER!" Shirou cried out as he arrived at the scene and stared blankly for only a moment. Within seconds he gritted his teeth and charged Archer who simply yawned in response. Just as he lashed out to punch the red head she side stepped and kneed him in the stomach sending him down hard and clutching his stomach in pain.

"Master!" Saber cried in pain and confusion as she looked down at her master with concern evident in her eyes. 'Why did he try to save me? What could he have hoped to gain from such a foolish act?' Saber thought to herself with a frown. She then turned and glared at Archer before she moved to attack the emerald eyed girl. However, before she could even make a move her own invisible blade was back at her throat.

"Now, now, let's place nice," Archer stated with a devious grin as she licked her lips wickedly and glared down a Shriou who was slowly rising to his feet.

"Archer enough!" a familiar voice snapped from behind the red head, who winced and growled in response.

"Master we've got two for the price of one going here and I didn't even break a sweat! Let's just get rid of them right now, there's no reason not to!" Archer pleaded as she turned to face a frowning Rin who tapped her feet impatiently against the springy grass of the estate.

"Archer you will obey me, or I'll have to use a command spell," Rin stated in a tone of voice that left no room for discussion.

"Damn," Archer hissed under her breath as she drew the blade back from Saber's neck before flipping it in her hands and handing what was more than likely the hilt back to it's master.

Saber cautiously took the blade from Archer's hand, all the while eyeing her with a look of puzzlement in her eyes. 'She had both Shriou and me right where she wanted us, and yet her master wouldn't let her finish us…strange?' Saber thought to herself as she put up her invisible blade.

"That was one hell of a hit," Shriou stated with a wince as he looked up to see who the other person was who had just saved his life. "Tohsaka!?" he exclaimed as he eyed the raven haired girl as though she was some kind of alien.

"Hey Emiya-kun, maybe next time you should tell your servant not to go charging into a battle half cocked. Another master might not be as nice as me," Rin stated with a smug smile which earned her a death glare from Saber.

"What's going on here Tohsaka-san?" Shriou asked as he glanced at the red head who hit him so hard her felt like he ran head first into a semi-truck.

"I'll tell you in a minute, but first can I get a glass of water? I'm incredibly thirsty," Rin stated as she and Archer brushed past a confused Shriou and a glaring Saber.

"I guess," Shirou stated as he and Saber quickly followed behind the duo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So I take it Saber stepped in and saved you from the servant in the gold armor?" Rin asked as she sipped her glass of water. She was currently examining the giant cracks and holes on the wooden deck with mild fascination. Archer was currently laying down on a spare futon in the guest room trying to finish part of her recovery process, and Saber stood at her master's side on guard.

"Yeah, but he said something about being weakened in an earlier battle," Shirou stated with a nonchalant shrug as he watched Rin pick up a plank of wood and prick her finger on it. "Um what are you doing?" Shirou asked but just as he finished his sentence he watched the entire deck reconstruct back to the way it looked before the battle had ever taken place.

"While I'm sure you could have done that at anytime, think of it as a gesture of good will for right now," Rin stated with a small smile.

"Wow, I don't think I could ever do anything like that," Shirou stated as he examined the deck with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

Rin nearly face faulted upon hearing Shirou utter his last words. "You're joking right? Those are the basics of the basics!" Rin exclaimed as she stared down at Shirou in disbelief.

"Sorry, but I only know what my dad taught me. So I don't know any of the basics or rudiments," Shirou stated with a nonchalant shrug.

"Huh?" Rin asked as she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Do you mean to tell me that you don't know how to use the five major elements or how to create a pass?"

Shriou simply shook his head in response.

"Wow, you suck as a mage and as a master," Archer stated as she joined the group out on the deck and stretched her arms out while stifling a yawn.

"Archer what are you doing up?" Rin asked as she eyed her servant incredulously.

"This guy's a total amateur, so there's a good likelihood that he doesn't even know how and why he was able to summon a servant," Archer stated with a bored expression on her face and a shoulder shrug.

"Hey I do know how to strengthen things!" Shirou snapped indignantly as he glared at the rude red head who gasped in faux shock.

"Really!? You can!? Wowie mister, you sure are one scarrry mage!" Archer exclaimed sarcastically before she started to chuckle. "Tell me when you get out the pee-wee league kid, and then I'll consider you worthy of being a master," Archer stated with a smug smile as she ignored the glare that Saber was giving her.

"Enough Archer," Rin stated with an annoyed expression on her face. "Although I must agree, I really don't understand how a complete novice like you was able to summon a Saber class servant. I also bet that Archer's right, you don't even know what's going on," Rin stated with an exasperated sigh.

"Well," Shirou began sheepishly as he nervously scratched the nape of his neck.

"As I thought," Rin stated sourly as she massaged her temples. "Look, you've gotten yourself into a game of sorts. This game is called the Holy Grail War, and consists of seven Masters killing each other," Rin stated as she finished the last of her water with a sigh.

"Holy Grail War? Killing each other?" Shirou asked with a dumbfounded expression on his face as he eyed Tohsaka as though she was clinically insane.

"Yep kiddo, and you've been chosen to be master along with that servant of yours. That's why you have that holy mark on your hand," Archer interjected as she gazed up at the glowing full moon above them.

"Those marks are your command spells, and serve as proof that you are a master," Rin added as she looked down at her empty glass. "Once every several decades, seven Master's are chosen and each of the seven Masters are given a Servant so that they fight with each other over possession of the Holy Grail. I was chosen as one of those masters, which is obvious, and as long as you have your command spells your servant will obey you. Command spells afford you the power issue absolute orders to your servant," Rin stated as she took a deep breath after her long winded explanation.

"The marks also allows you to distort a servant's will, which you saw my master threaten me with only moments ago," Archer stated sourly as she turned to face Shirou who was currently staring down at his left hand with a pained expression on his face. "Don't worry you only get to do it three times, although I would advise you not to waste them," Archer stated with a shrug as she turned and gazed out at the moon again.

"Well let's see," Rin stated as she sauntered over to Saber who simply regarded her with blank stare. "It seems you've been summoned by an apprentice magician that does not have any notion on how to be a master," Rin stated sourly.

"I wouldn't talk too loud if I were you," Archer warned with a smile evident in her voice, "I'm pretty incomplete too ya' know."

"Shut up," Rin deadpanned as she continued her examination of Saber.

"That is correct, Shirou did not have enough magic power to materialize me," Saber stated with a small frown. "As such it would be fairly difficult for me to go into spirit form or to replenish my own magic power," Saber said as she looked toward her master who continued to scratch his head in confusion.

"Well too bad you don't have me for a master, because both task would have been simple," Rin stated with a small smile. "Although I'm definitely not complaining about the servant I did summon."

"Told ya'," Archer interjected with a light chuckle.

"Are you saying that I'm not worthy enough?" Shirou inquired with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Duh," Archer responded for Rin causing both girls to giggle lightly.

"Anyway let's get going," Rin stated as she stopped giggling and turned to leave with Archer turning around to follow her.

"Where?" Shirou inquired as he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"To see the supervisor for all of this," Rin stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Um, okay," Shriou responded with uncertainty evident in his voice, but he followed Rin none the less.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Um, not that I really care or anything, but didn't you have something else that she could wear?" Rin grumbled as they crossed a bridge and headed toward the other side of the Fuuyuki City.

"Hey it's not my fault she can't take off her armor like Archer," Shirou stated with an exasperated sigh as glanced back at Saber who was currently donning a beige hooded cloak over her armor and face. He then stole a glance at Archer, who was currently listening to Rin's jogman, who was currently donning her school uniform and humming along to the beat of a song she was listening to.

Saber suddenly stopped and looked out over the sparkling lake before her. 'So this exactly the same place from ten years ago,' she thought to herself solemnly as her mind raced with images. Intense fires, blood, sweat, pain, and hate were all triggered in her memories simply by gazing out onto the sparkling waters before her.

"Saber!?" Shirou called out snapping the blond haired servant out of her revelry. The servant quickly caught up with her master and his companions as they made their way toward an old church. It was small and built in a stereotypical fashion but still had an finely aged quality about it. As they walked along the cobblestone path way Saber took in the luscious greens of the bushes around her along the path, which were still very pronounced even in the dark.

"So the supervisor's here?" Shriou inquired as he adjusted his white long sleeve tee-shirt with blue sleeves and his loose faded blue jeans.

"Kotomine's Church," Rin stated simply before Saber spoke up.

"Shirou I shall remain here," Saber started to say before she was cut off by Archer.

"No I think it's best if we all go in, while I have almost completely recovered I am not quite there yet. Besides, my master is tired from earlier and the follow of her mana into me is thinning," Archer stated with a frown. "Not to mention catching your blade forced to raise my awareness level."

"But," Saber started to protest before Archer cut her off again.

"I can sense him…the Archer we fought earlier. He's around here and he might just be waiting for our masters to get just far enough out of our sigh that he came come in and kill them quickly. Although he was weakened it seems he has regained more then enough of his mana so I am currently at a disadvantage," Archer stated as her frown deepened. "Do you wish to protect your master or not?" Archer inquired her voice sending chills down everyone's spine.

Saber didn't even have to think twice and quickly responded, "I shall accompany you then."

"Good, now we can go," Archer stated with small smile as they all entered the church.

Upon entering the church Shirou decided to speak up again. "Tohsaka what kind of person is the father here?" Shirou inquired as he looked around at the dusty wooden pews around him and then down at the varnished and slightly dusty wooden floor at his feet.

"He's my legal guardian, additionally, he is an apprentice magician senior to me. I suppose you could call him my second teacher," Tohsaka stated simply as the walked under the moon lit spot in the center of the church where a gigantic stain glass window featuring an unknown patron saint stood holding a wooden staff and wearing a red and white robe.

"A magician? A father of a church is part of the heretical Magicians Association?" Shriou asked as he continued to take in his surroundings. Glancing to his left he noticed an old grand organ off in a corner next to the preaching stand. He also noticed the fancy metal candle holders littering several areas within the church.

"That's exactly why you have to be very careful with him," Rin stated solemnly as she came to halt four pews away from the preacher's stand. "By the way, his name is Kotomine Kirei, he was my father's apprentice. I have known him for more than ten years, although I prefer to not have known him," Rin stated jokingly as she turned around to face Shirou.

"Kotomine…Kirei," Archer mumbled to herself with a frown on her face. "Something about that name is unsettling to me…I'd better watch this man carefully. He may even be a link to my past, or the memories I have forgotten," Archer said to herself as she hit the stop button on the Jogman and took the ear buds out. It was also at this time that she heard the faint foot steps of someone approaching their group. 'I didn't even sense him until now!' Archer thought to herself as her eyes went wide with shock. 'I definitely need to watch this guy, whoever he is.'

"Neither did I want to have an apprentice who did not respect her teacher," a deep masculine voice stated as tall figure approached Shirou and company. Donning a long dark blue, almost violet, jacket, black priest shirt, a gold cross around his neck, a loose pair black khaki pants, and a pair of brown leather dress shoes stood Kotomine. His dark brown eyes were cold and calculating and his long brown hair hung over his eyes in bangs or was slightly feathered in the back. His rugged face and square chin made him look even more intimidating then he already was.

"I brought you the seventh master," Rin stated simply as she pointed to Shirou who stood examining the man before him. "While he is a magician, he's also a complete amateur. I couldn't help watching him so…"

Kirei stared at Shirou with cold eyes and a devious smile on his face. "And what is your name?" he inquired as he continued to stare at the amber eyed young man who was still trying to determine whether or not Kirei was someone he could trust.

Taking a step back Shirou hesitantly responded, "Emiya Shirou."

Kirei looked slightly taken aback as he repeated the young man's name. "Emiya…Shirou?" he asked before a wicked smile danced across his face. "You are Saber's master correct?" Kirei inquired as he looked toward the blond standing next to Shirou who was eyeing him as though he looked familiar. Kirei couldn't help but smile once he was sure that the emerald eyed young woman had no memory of him and his past deeds.

"No! I have no clue what this "Master" or "Holy Grail War" business is!" Shirou interjected with a slightly concerned expression on his face.

"Now we have a serious problem," Kirei stated with a small smile as he shook his head in what may have been disappointment. "Very well," he stated as he turned toward Rin, "This is the first time that Rin has relied on me, so giving my thanks to Emiya Shirou is not quite enough for this deed." Turning back toward Shirou he continued as he wrapped his arms around his back. "You cannot let other's be a Master for you, nor can you quit being a master now that you are one. Are we clear?" Kirei inquired as he raised an eyebrow. Noting Shirou's nod in response he continued, "That command spell on your left hand can also be considered a holy mark. Being a master is an ordeal thrust upon you."

Shirou looked down at his hand with a pained expression on his face as he listened to Kotomine continue.

"You cannot simply quit just because your situation is unfavorable. If you do not want to be a Master, there is no way out other than obtaining the Holy Grail and having your wish granted," Kirei stated as he rested his hands on his hips and leaned against an adjacent wall.

"Have my wish granted," Shirou interjected with a confused expression on his face as he raised an eyebrow.

Opening his arms for dramatic effect Kirei continued. "With the Holy Grail, your wishes can be granted; and your sins can be cleansed. Yes, you can even start everything all over again," Kirei stated with an evil smirk as he lowered his arms to his side. "If that time comes you will be grateful for being a master. If you wish to be rid of that invisible scar from the flames, then just accept those holy marks."

"Kirei, stop talking in such a roundabout way," Rin demanded as she rested her hands on her hips and frowned. Meanwhile Shirou was warring with the thoughts bouncing off his head. "All I asked for you to do was to explain the rules, got it?" Rin asked as she raised an eyebrow and eyed the older man skeptically.

"Very well, back to the subject," Kirei stated with a shrug as he continued on. "The battle is called the Holy Grail War, a scramble between seven Master's employing the use of seven servants. We do not voluntarily take part in such killings. It is a ritual to choose the one most suited to obtain the Holy Grail."

"No way!" Shirou snapped as he eyed the brown eyed man as though he was a few eggs short of an Easter basket. "The legendary Holy Grail…," he started before he was cut off again.

"The Holy Grail that appears in this city is authentic. The presence of these extrodinary should be proof of that," Kirei stated as he pointed to the two servants standing behind the teenage students before him. "Servants are quite close to what a sprite is," Kirei continued, "They are legendary spirits from either past or the present, given flesh by the Holy Grail. Essentially, they stand by their master's in spirit form, and you can materialize them and have them fight for you when necessary."

"Well to be honest both Emiya-kun's and my servant are a bit different. Unfortunately my servant cannot go into spiritual form for some unknown reason, and Emiya-kun's can't because…"

"He's a dunce," Archer interjected, although her comment seemed more like an after thought due to the fact that she looked like she was deep in thought. However, that did not keep Shirou from face faulting dramatically.

Kirei sighed and shook his head again before he continued. "This miracle of near-resurrection of the dead can essentially be called Magic. The Holy Grail, having so much power, will be able to grant it's possessor infinite power. Before this fact, authenticity holds no value," Kirei finished as Shirou spoke up again.

"Okay, even assuming that there is a Holy Grail, there's no need to kill each other," Shirou stated with a pained expression on his face as he balled up his fist and stepped forward. "If it's something that great then everyone should just share it with one another!"

"Holy hell you're stupid, what kind of make believe world do you live in? Nothing is ever that easy moron," Archer stated with a exasperated sigh.

"She's correct, the Holy Grail only chooses a person it feels most suitable to be its possessor. It has the master's compete with each other and then chooses only one. The Holy Grail itself is responsible for everything, be it choosing the seven Masters or summoning the Servants," Kirei stated as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Even if it only chooses one Master, there's no need to kill the other Masters!" Shirou continued to argue.

"Hold it!" Rin snapped drawing Shirou's attention toward her. "There's no rule that says that you have to kill the other Masters. The Holy Grail is a spiritual body. Only servants ,who are spiritual entities, can touch it. The war is primarily the elimination of everyone else's Servant but yours," Rin finished as she took a deep breath.

"That means that the other Masters don't need to kill each other!" Shirou exclaimed as he pumped his arms in victory. Archer and Rin simply slapped their faces with their hands and dragged it down their faces, while Saber simply sighed.

"I'm afraid it's not that simle," Kirei stated with a small sigh. "Let me ask you something, do you think you can defeat your own Servant? Not even Servants themselves, let alone Masters, can defeat each other easily," Kirei stated before he was rudely interrupted.

"You're kidding right, maybe I just got involved in the wrong war or something, but these guys are a piece of cake," Archer stated with a yawn as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Well there are exceptions I suppose," Kirei stated as he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, without Masters, Servants cannot exist on their own. Therefore killing Masters is the most efficient way to kill Servants. However, Servants that lose their Masters do not disappear right away. They can always make a pact with other Masters who still have command spells. Masters who have lost their Servants, and vice versa, can always make another pact and rejoin the battle in this manner," Kirei finished as he took in a deep breath.

"So what happens to Masters who lose all of their command spells?" Shirou inquired as he cocked an eyebrow. "Won't the Servant be free to make a pact with other Masters?"

"Exactly. If you use up all of your command spells then you are released from your responsibility as a Master. Of course you would have to be a half-assed magician or a loser for that to occur," Kirei stated with another evil grin.

Shriou gritted his teeth and glared at the older man, but said nothing.

"Of course if you wish to do that I would guarantee your safety," Kirei offered. "That is the role of the supervisor after all. Did you know this is the fifth time the war has taken place in this city? The other time was ten years ago."

"Are you all out of your mind!" Shirou snapped as he balled up his fist and glared at Kirei. "You've actually done this four times already!?"

"Past Holy Grail Wars have been nothing but absolutely calamitous. Masters were motivated by their own desires and forgot what they learned as magicians, and began killing each other indiscriminately," Kirei stated as he started to walk away. "Therefore, since the Third War and beyond there has been a supervisor. That was my father, and I am succeeding his duties," Kirei stated as he opened his arms dramatically and faced the cross hanging up behind the preacher's post.

"I see this…Holy Grail War as a pretty ill-natured ritual," Kirei started to say before he was cut off.

"Oh? Because previous Masters were magicians that broke the rules, right?" Shirou inquired as he stared intently at the brown haired man. "If those people were to obtain the Holy Grail, then what would happen if they used it for their own personal desires? Isn't it bad if the Holy Grail ends up in the hands of those that can kill other's easily?" he asked as he balled up his fist in rage again.

"Kirei…kill others easily," Archer started mumbling to herself as though a light switch had clicked in her mind. 'I think I'm starting to remember something,' she thought to herself with a troubled expression on her face, 'Come on think!'

"Regardless of who ends up with the Grail, the Magician's Association cannot intervene. If you are so worried about it why not compete and make sure the Holy Grail does not fall into the hands of the wrong person?" Kirei asked with a smug smile.

"That's none of your business! I don't have a reason to fight, and neither am I interest in the Holy Grail!" Shirou snapped. Due to the fact that he was so focused on Kirei he missed Saber's near silent gasp.

"Well then, that means that you wouldn't mind what happened ten years ago happening again?" Kirei inquired, smug smile still in place. "At the end of the last war someone unstable touched the Grail. We don't know what the Master's desire was; the only thing that is known is the disaster it left behind."

Shirou's eyes widened with realization and he felt his fist ball up even tighter making his knuckles go white.

"Unstable…Grail…calamity…Kotomine," Archer continued to mumble to herself. 'It's so close I can practically see it right now!' she thought to herself in frustration.

"That's right, that fire ten years ago was the result of the last Holy Grail War," Kirei stated, his voice dripping with venom.

"Emiya-kun what's wrong," Rin asked with concern evident in her eyes.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he responded with a troubled expression on his face. "So that was the result of the last war, huh?

"No, there were no results. And unsuitable man touched and another before that. The latter kept avoiding battles so the Grail could not be completed."

"So basically obtaining the Grail without defeating the other Masters is meaningless, right? So the Master that got to the Grail first was just a naïve person," Rin stated with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Don't tell me you were that Master!" Shirou interjected with a concerned expression on his face.

"To a certain point," Kirei admitted truthfully as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Master…Kirei…Archer…Grail…calamity…unstable person," Archer kept muttering to herself faster and faster in a vain attempt to get whatever was going on in her mind to click. 'Come on, think damn it! You've got it right on the tip of your tongue!' Archer thought to herself with a scowl.

"In the end I lost my Servant and was protected by my father, the supervisor," Kirei stated with a small smile. "Well that ends our little discussion."

"Fine, and I've decided I'm going to fight and I'm going to be the one to obtain the Grail," Shirou stated with a frown on his face. Had he been listening he might have heard Saber breath a sigh of relief. "However, I will not kill any of the other Masters!"

"Very well, now if you will excuse me," Kirei stated as he turned to leave. After Kotomine left the group exited the church and were about to head toward their respective homes before they heard Archer muttering something underneath her breath.

"Kirei…Kotomine," Archer repeated a bit louder as she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. Suddenly a sharp pain stabbed like daggers in her brain, and her mind's eye was suddenly filled with images.

**Flashback**

"_Hey papa?" a young Midori inquired as she looked up from her bowl of rice with a look of puzzlement in her emerald eyes. Both she and a white haired man were sitting at a familiar table in a familiar dining room/kitchen enjoying a quite breakfast. Midori was currently donning a green tank top, blue jean jacket, and a pair of faded denim blue jeans. Her long red hair was tied into a loose ponytail and she was currently donning a frayed red baseball cap with a calligraphic letter M._

"_Yes Midori?" her father inquired as he took a sip of his tea and then set it down on the table before giving his daughter his full attention._

"_When you fought in the war who was the bad guy?" Midori inquired as she continued to eat her rice, but her emerald eyes were locked in on her father's amber irises._

_Her father chuckled dryly before responding. "There really wasn't a bad guy per say, in fact now that I look back on it we all could have been bad guys in some regard," her father stated with a small smile._

"_But I thought you were the good guy," Midori whined as she mock glared at her father._

"_I suppose… okay there was one person that could have been considered a bag guy so to speak," her father stated with a frown on his face. "His name was Kirei Kotomine and even though he wasn't really a Master, he sought the power of the Grail with the help of a Servant named Gilgamesh. In the end Saber and I were able to defeat them before Kirei was able to bring about the end of the world…much like he had tried ten years prior."_

**End Flashback**

Suddenly it finally clicked and her eyes widened in realization and horror. Still clutching her head because of the intense pain she had felt her earlier she slowly raised her head to look Rin in her eyes.

"Kotomine is Archer's master," Archer stated numbly as she her arms dropped down to her sides.

"What!?" Shirou and Rin gasped in unison as they stared wide eyed at the red head before them.

"Kotomine…he tried to destroy the world ten years ago, and now he's going to try to do it again," Archer continued as Muramasa and Masamune materialized in her hands.

"Archer what are you talking about!? How would you know this!?" Rin exclaimed as she stepped in front of her Servant trying to glare her down.

"Master, use a command spell if you must but it is true. Now if you will excuse me," Archer deadpanned as she calmly brushed past sputtering Rin and headed back toward the church. However when she was ten meters away from the door Kirei stepped out of the shadows and onto the cobblestone with an evil smile on his face.

"I knew I sensed something strange about you, but I didn't think you were an oracle," Kirei stated with a small smile as he snapped his fingers. No sooner had he done this then Gilgamesh arrived currently donning a black leather jacket with white stripes running down the sleeves, a tight white dress shirt, and a loose pair of black leather pants. His platinum blond hair was currently lying down and his bangs nearly covered his blood red eyes.

"So it's true," Shirou suddenly growled from behind Archer as he gritted his teeth and balled up his fist in rage. "You're the one who started the fire? Then everything you just told me was a lie!?" Shirou snapped as he glared daggers into Kirei who simply chuckled darkly in response.

"He told me there would be complications…I looks like he was right. I suppose it was a good idea to team up with them after all," Kirei stated with a confident smile.

"Master, you and Shirou should retreat," Archer stated as he blades began to glow red and blue respectively.

"Wait! What's going on Kirei!?" Rin snapped as she looked from her servant to said man with a look of confusion in her emerald eyes.

"Nothing of any great importance, other then the fact that your servant has brought death upon you all," Kirei stated with an evil smirk.

"Kirei?" Rin asked as she cocked in eyebrow in confusion.

"Master, you and Shirou should retreat now," Archer stated with a frown as she glanced back at her Master and Shriou.

"No this is my fight as well, right Saber?" Shirou inquired with a small smile as he glanced back and Saber who had already drawn her invisible blade.

"Archer what about you? You haven't completely recovered yet," Rin pointed out with worry evident in her eyes.

"We have no choice," Archer stated calmly before she charged Gilgamesh. "You die now! 10,000 Winters!" she snapped as Murasame exploded into ten thousand red glowing icicles and shot themselves at Gilgamesh who gritted his teeth and quickly drew Enuma Elish.

"Enuma Elish!" he cried out as the red and pink energy swirled around his blade and shot out at Archer. Unfortunately the attack was once again dissipated by Archer's attack and the icicles continued toward their intended target. "Damn it!" Gilgamesh hissed as he tried to dodge the attack but end up getting cut up in several places causing blood to gush out onto the cobblestone.

"Yawaraka-Te!" Archer cried as he bladed flared a bright blue, but suddenly died out. "NO!" she cried out in horror as the blade dematerialized. 'I'm not getting enough mana! I can't rejuvenate enough!' Archer thought to herself in horror as she stopped dead in her tracks and stared down at her shaking hands. 'I hardly have enough to stay alive!' Archer thought to herself in a panic as she glanced up and saw that Gilgamesh had slowly started to recover.

"Well it looks like you've run out of energy," he stated with a smirk as a familiar void of purple, yellow, orange and red appeared behind him. "Now let it's time for my revenge, and for you to know what it's like to be humiliated," he stated as his mystic blade began to glow again.

'Damn it, not like this,' Archer thought to herself as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Enuma!" Gilgamesh started before another battle cry was heard off to the side.

"Excalibur!" Suddenly a giacatic wave of blue and sea green energy tore through the cobble stone and surrounding foliage before smashing into Gilgamesh and enveloping him.

"Archer retreat!" Rin demanded as she and Shirou started to back away toward Saber's side. However it was then the Archer noticed that Saber was shivering.

'Damn it all! That novice doesn't even know how to transfer his mana to his Servant!' Archer thought to herself as she solemnly shook her head. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW! OTHER WISE YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Archer cried out in pain as forced an ebony long bow to materialize in her hands. By now she was shaking, sweating profusely, and starting to convulse but she was currently their last line of defense.

"Ten Thousand!" she started as a dark void appeared in her hands. Suddenly several small black daggers struck Archer in her wrist and narrowly missed her heart as she twisted slightly just in time. 'Damn…it,' she thought to herself as her entire world went black.

Rin watched as Archer feel lifelessly onto the ground in an undignified heap. "ARCHER NO!" both she and Shriou cried out in horror as Rin ran to her downed Servant's side drawing out several multi-colored gems and aiming them at Gilgamesh and Kotomine. "I'LL KILL YOU!" she snapped as she shot the projectiles at her foes with all her might. Unfortunately her attack was countered by a set of small black daggers that destroyed the gems without even setting off the magical power inside them.

"What!?" Rin exclaimed as she watched the scene with a look of horror in her eyes.

"Like I told you, you are all going to die," Kotomine stated with a feral grin as he motioned for Gilgamesh to take out Saber. Complying with Kotomine's wishes he aimed his blade at the now convulsing Saber who was currently supporting herself on her sword.

"Enuma Elish!" he cried out as the energy tore apart what remained of the cobblestone and foliage. Just as the attack was about to hit Saber, who had gritted her teeth and accepted her fate, Shirou quickly jumped in the way and took the full force of the attack.

"SHIROU!" both Saber and Rin cried out as Shirou's body flew through the air, slightly charred and bleeding from almost every orifice.

"DAMN YOU!" Rin snapped as she charged Kotomine who simply sided stepped and kneed her in the gut. Rin's eyes bugged out of her skull as the force of the blow just missed destroying her ribs, although she was sure she had some type of internal bleeding. However, before she could even get to her feet Kirei brought his elbow down on her neck, almost snapping it, and sent her plummeting onto the ground and blood gushing out of her mouth onto the dirt at his feet.

"Master," Saber muttered numbly as she pulled her sword out of the ground and, with violently shaking hands, pointed the blade at Kotomine and Gilgamesh. "Excali…" she started before her blade slipped from he numb hands and her vision went black. However, while her vision had gone black, she still stood trying to maintain her consciousness.

"This is pathetic," Kirei stated with a scowl on his face as he glanced down at the unconscious Rin. "Well lets finish this then," he stated as he nodded toward Gilgamesh who raised his blade again, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"GAE BOLG!" a came a gruff battle cry as a red streak of what almost appeared like lighting shot through a shocked Gilgamesh's chest, and consequently caused him to drop his flaring Enuma Elish. Looking up in the air both Kotomine and Gilgamesh saw a man donning what looked to be a blue spandex body suit with silver trim running along the pectorals and other distinct muscles. His navy blue hair was brushed back into a lose ponytail with a few stray strands that hung in front like bangs. He had cold blood red eyes that almost matched Gilgamesh's, and he had a chiseled masculine face with a squared chin.

"So she's still alive? Well that's unfortunate, that blade through her chest should have been enough to at least send her to the hospital," Kirei stated with a frown as he looked down the street and saw two women quickly approaching the scene. One was donning a brown woman's style suit, with a white dress shirt, violet tie, black leather gloves, and black leather dress shoes. She had short violet hair that extended down to her shoulders, and a pair of gorgeous violet eyes with small mole underneath her right eye. Her face was slender and battle worn, but had a cute tomboyish quality about it, and her form was on par with Sakuras aside from the fact that she was far more muscular.

Running next to the young woman was another young woman with wavy snow white hair that extended down to her thighs. She had a pair of canary yellow eyes and a cute face that resembled a doll. She was currently donning a black hat with a grey border, a black blouse with puffy sleeves, a long sleeve grey tee-shirt, a pair of grey leggings, and a pair of black leather shoes (notice I didn't mention that she was wearing any type of pants or skirt.)

"Lancer get them out of here!" the violet haired young woman stated as she stopped in front of Shirou and scooped him up in her arms before turning and running away. Lancer followed his Master's lead as he landed on the ground and immediately kicked Kotomine in the gut causing the man to hunch over and cough up blood. Lancer used the distraction to retrieve his spear from Gilgamesh who simply stood there convulsing, much like the other Servant's had, and scooped up Rin his arms. He then turned and scooped up Archer and Saber hefting the latter on to his back, before he dashed away.

Kotomine quickly recovered with a scowl on his face as he glanced up just in time to see the fleeting forms of the Master and her Servant. However he didn't notice the young woman staring at him with a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"It's you," she whispered numbly as she continued to stare at the man before her with wide eyes. However, before Kirei could turn to address her she sped off with her accomplices.

"Well to be honest I wasn't expecting them to retreat," Kotomine muttered as he dragged Gilgamesh inside the church. "Well better collect some more souls for you," he muttered with an exasperated sigh as he continued down to the basement of the church. "Well they won't be happy with this turn of events, especially with they're watchdog relaying watch just happened," Kotomine said to himself with frown. "He wanted that Archer dead."

**To Be Continued**

Author's Note: Yeah I know it was short, but hey I didn't want to throw too much into one chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

"Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it, so please don't sue me.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 4: Early Deception**

"Am I dying?" a thought, or perhaps her own voice, rang through Archer's head as she was greeted by nothing but endless darkness. "Well at least I'm not in pain," she said/thought to herself with a hoarse chuckle. "It is rather ironic that the one time I begin to remember who I am I get butchered in a fight."

"_**Death will not come that easily,"**_ a voice that sounded identical to Archer's stated as the words bounced off the confines of the red head's mind. _**"If it is memories you seek in order to command your strength at will, then I shall give them all to you. However, it will take time…and unfortunately we do not have much of it,"**_the voice stated solemnly.

"What the heck is going on here?" Archer asked with confusion evident in her voice.

"_**They need you to make this right, papa and the rest, do not fail them. Now remember,"**_ the identical voice stated as Archer's mind's eye was enveloped by a bizarre image.

**Flashback**

"_You know oyaji you should really leave this hero business to me, you're starting to slip," a familiar red head stated she aimed her ebony long bow at a black and white target in the backyard of a familiar estate. Midori was currently donning a familiar school uniform consisting of a mustard yellow sweater vest, pristine white dress shirt, knee high black skirt, and a red ribbon._

"_What are you talking about Midori-chan?" a Midori's father inquired as he watched his daughter take aim with an arrow drawn back on the string. He was currently donning a white tee-shirt which seemed spray painted onto his massive muscular chest, a pair of worn blue jeans, and an old pair of white and red stripped tennis shoes as he sat on a familiar wooden deck._

"_You almost killed 25 innocent people yesterday, although it would have easily saved the other 120. Even so, we've never tired to do things the easy way at the expense of innocent lives," Midori stated as she released the arrow and let it fly. Within less then a second the arrow made contact with the center of the circle. "YES! Beat that oyaji!" the emerald eyed girl stated with a smug smile as she turned to face her frowning father._

"_What's wrong? Was my form wrong or something? I would love to get some pointers from the greatest archer at his high school," Midori stated with a small smile, but her father continued to frown. "What's wrong oyaji? I don't think you're some kind of wuss for quitting the team or anything, in fact I was thinking about doing the same," Midori said as she waited for her father to respond. After almost a minute she sighed and gave up deciding to continue with her archery practice._

"_Midori-chan," her father spoke up again as he ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed._

"_Yes, papa?" Midori inquired as she fired one last arrow and turned to face her father with a sympathetic smile. She knew that she could always get her father to open up to her when she called him papa, but she never abused her power and only used it in situations that required it._

_Her father smiled warmly at her for a second before the smile fell into a frown. "Midori…what's wrong with me?" Midori's father inquired as he stared down at his feet with a pained expression on his face._

"_What do you mean papa? Nothing's wrong with you, yesterday was simply a mistake. It was just a good thing I was with you," Midori stated as she set her bow down on a nearby white plastic table and approached her father. Taking a seat on the deck next to him she leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "I remember when we used to sit outside with mom when I was really little. Although I can't remember her face I can still feel the warmth of her smile…I can still remember the warmth I felt from both of you when we watched the stars together. We would sit out here in our kimono's and just talk…papa there's nothing wrong with you and there never will be," Midori stated as she looked up into her father's pained face and smiled warmly at him._

"_Mother believed in you…and I think she told me once that you were the only man who made her believe that it was possible for everyone to be saved," Midori stated with as she returned her head to her father's shoulder. "Papa, don't give up on your mission. If you start to slip I'll be there to protect you just like you protect everyone else."_

"_Midori-chan, I'm supposed to protect you. How can I be your father if I can't protect you?" Midori's father inquired as he eyed his daughter skeptically._

"_Jeez oyaji, everyone needs someone to save them at least once…I'm all you have right now so I don't mind. I just don't want you to try to take on the world alone, so I'll protect you and you can protect the world if you want. 'Kay?" Midori asked with a girlish giggle as she hugged her father tightly. "Don't worry I would never leave you alone papa, because we're all we've got left."_

_Suddenly the scene flashes the image of a familiar red head hanging from a noose, her neck snapped and body limp. There is a pained cry in the distance and then the scene switches back._

"_Of course Midori, I'd never leave you alone…you're the one person that makes me believe my life was worth something in the end."_

"_Papa."_

**End Flashback**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where am I?" Shirou said to himself, or perhaps thought, as he was confronted by an endless void of darkness so dark that he couldn't even see himself. What was even more disconcerting was the fact that he felt numb all over. "What's going on?" he asked no one in particular, worry evident in his voice.

"_**Emiya Shirou, once again you have started on an impossible path but fortunately for you fate has decided to intervene in your favor. Rejoice, because you shall be given a second chance to have your mistakes corrected for you. I advise you to throw away your foolish ideals for this, so that you can embrace the reality of the situation. If you cannot, then even with the aid you shall receive all shall turn to ash," **_a gruff voice stated hauntingly.

"What? Who said that?" Shirou asked the empty void with panic evident in his voice.

"_**I am your future sins and the father of your salvation,"**_ the voice stated cryptically as it chuckled darkly. _**"Gaze upon your failed future boy, and do not forget my warning."**_

Suddenly Shirou's mind's eye was enveloped by a strange sight.

**Flashback**

"_It's a girl," a young woman stated weakly from a hospital bed as Shirou found himself gazing down at a little girl with sparse strands of red hair along her head. Picking up the baby wrapped in a pink blanket he felt his heart bursting with pride. Emerald eyes gazed up at him and the infant tiny lips shifted into what could have been a smile._

"_What do you think we should name her?" a woman he presumed to be his wife inquired. He couldn't make out her face but he could see her pale arms and white hospital gown._

"_Midori," Shirou heard himself say in a voice that he didn't recognize as his own. Looking down he also noticed that his arms were unusually tanned and muscular._

"_Midori?" his "wife" inquired in a voice that suggested puzzlement._

"_Yes, because of her eyes," Shirou heard the voice state._

"_Do they resemble mine?" his "wife" asked with hopefulness evident in her voice._

'_I would hope so if she didn't have mine,' Shirou thought to himself in puzzlement as the voice spoke again. "Yes, they're just like yours."_

**End Flashback**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ugh," Shirou grumbled as he slowly rose out from underneath his forest green comforter, as sweat trickled down his face. 'What a crazy dream,' he thought to himself as he clutched his aching head and ran a hand through his short red hair. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back and he noticed that his long sleeve tee-shirt was completely soaked with perspiration. 'I need to get out of these cloths,' he thought to himself before the realization dawned on him that he had not fallen asleep with his cloths on.

Within seconds his mind was flooded by images from last night. Archer's death, or what he assumed was her death, and then the massive wave of energy that hit him when he jumped in front of Saber flashed in front of his minds eye. 'WAIT!' he thought to himself as his eyes bugged out of his head, 'I should be dead! How am I still alive!?' Slowly pulling up his sweat stained shirt he examined his chest and noticed that he was covered in white bandages, some with dried blood showing through them. 'Who?' he thought to himself before his door slid open.

"Good morning," a familiar young woman with snow white hair greeted cheerfully as she stepped inside the room. "How are you feeling today? Better I hope, your injuries were quite sever last night. However, it seems that your Servant may have saved your life," she stated with a small smile as she walked to the other side of Shirou's room and slid the door open. In the room next to Shirou's rested Saber who was currently resting none too peacefully.

"Are you her Master?" the young woman inquired without turning around to face Shirou.

"Yes," Shirou answered as he slowly got up out of his futon with a wince and went to see whatever it was the young woman was looking at. Upon looking into the room he noticed Saber was drenched in sweat and her face held a look of complete agony. "Saber!" he cried out as he tried to rush to her side only to be halted by the pain being emitted under the bandages and had to move at a slower pace.

"She's fading out," the canary yellow eyed young woman stated simply as she joined Shirou at Saber's beside. "Much like the other one, although there is a possibility that she might recover on her own. However, with your Servant, unless you find someone way of replenishing her mana, there is no chance that she will be able to fight. If she's lucky she'll survive," the young woman stated simply as she looked up from the whimpering Servant to Shirou with a blank look in her eyes.

"Isn't there something I can do?" Shirou inquired as he looked away from the young woman and back down at Saber with a pained look in his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"Well it is apparent that you do not know basic magic so having you channel your mana into your servant is impossible. However there are two other solutions," the young woman stated with a sigh as she stood up.

"One solution is to have her devour the souls of living human beings," the young woman stated dispassionately with a small almost unnoticeable frown forming on her face. "The other is to simply link one of your magic circuits with her, so she can get a direct supply of mana from you," the white haired girl stated simply.

"Well I would never do the first, so I guess it will be the latter," Shirou stated with a small frown. "But how would I go about doing that?" he inquired as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

The yellowed eyed girl stood silently in the doorway for a moment, as if contemplating her next move, before she turned and left. "Come," she stated as she slid open the door in Shirou's room and headed out down the hall.

Shirou simply stared blankly at the white haired young woman in response before turning back to glance at Saber one last time. Slowly rising to his feet he made his way to the kitchen, all the while thinking of what had happened last night.

**Flashback**

'_What's wrong with Archer!?' Shirou thought to himself as his eyes widened with a mixture of panic, rage, and fright. Just as he stepped forward to try to intervene he heard a loud battle cry bellow from behind him._

"_Excalibur!" Saber bellowed as her invisible blade was enveloped by green and white energy. The energy itself caused strong winds to whip up and Shirou watched in amazement as a flawless blade appeared in his Servant's hands. It's gold and navy blue hilt was extravagantly designed, and the blade itself looked to be a combination of gold and some of the finest steel. Suddenly the energy engulfing the blade and it's master exploded forth ripping apart the grounds of the church and heading straight toward Gilgamesh who simply gritted his teeth and took the blow full force._

'_We've won!' Shirou thought to himself excitedly as a triumphant smile appeared on his face. Unfortunately once the dust settled Shirou and the remaining company were greated by a grinning, and slightly injured, Gilgamesh who took the sleeve of his jacket and whipped away a small trace of blood from his otherwise flawless lips._

'_DAMN IT!' Shirou thought to himself as he gritted his teeth, 'Now what!?' As if on cue the blade in Gilgamesh's hand began to glow and suddenly the familiar red and pink energy swirled around his blade._

"_Well my queen, it seems as though I had overestimated you," Gilgamesh stated with a feral smirk. "How unfortunate, but now this comes to an end! Enuma Elish!" he bellowed as the energy blasted apart what remained of the grounds and continued toward Saber who stood quivering and supported only by her blade._

'_SABER!" Shirou thought to himself in panic as he stared at his Servant who had not even made an attempt to either block or dodge the on coming attack. 'DAMN IT!' he swore inside his head as he dashed toward Saber at the last possible second and knocked her out of the way. Unfortunately he caught the full brunt of the attack and felt an indescribable pain surge throughout his body, almost as if he was being burn from the inside out. As the pain continued to numb his senses he felt his eyelids grow heavy until he could no longer keep them open and he blacked out._

**End Flashback**

"Emiya-san, Emiya-san?" a voice called out snapping Shirou out of his revelry.

"Oh! Sorry, you were saying something?" Shirou inquired as he scratched the nape of his neck sheepishly.

"Yes, would you like a bowl of rice?" the white haired girl inquired as she held a porcelain bowl full of white rice out in front of him. Shirou was slightly taken aback, not realizing that he had made his way to the dining room while he was lost in thought.

"Yeah, um, thank you," he said sheepishly as he took the bowl out of the young woman's hands. After that the pair ate in silence for a moment, one not knowing what to say and the other having anything to say. Just then it hit Shirou that this young woman who had never even met before not only knew his name, but had saved his life. "Um, I don't mean to be rude but who are you exactly? Also, how did you find me?" he inquired as the yellow eyed young woman calmly sipped her tea.

"I am Karen Orstensia, or so I believed myself to be until recently. As far as how I found you, an associate of mine and I had been in search of Kotomine-san's base of operations so to speak. We initially arrived to keep him achieving his goals, but once we arrived on the scene she ordered her Servant to rescue you and your friends," Karen stated as she took another sip of her tea.

"You mean your associate is a Master?" Shirou inquired as he eyed the young woman skeptically.

"Yes, she is part of the Magic Association and was brought her under the false pretense that she would be participating in the Holy Grail War. However, Kotomine-san merely wanted possession of her Servant and command spells and tried to obtain them by severing her arm. Unfortunately for him I had received orders to investigate a time/space anomaly that had been occurring in this area. When I went to check in I came upon Kotomine-san about to deliver the fatal blow, however Bazett-san turned around to see who had entered the room and Kotomine missed. Even after missing however he made another attempt at her life by stabbing her in the chest, narrowly missing the heart by less then and inch," Karen stated, taking a moment to take a breath before continuing.

"After that she used her Servant, Lancer, to scare Kotomine-san off and I quickly rushed her to the hospital were she was treated," Karen stated as she picked up her bowl of rice and began eating again.

"Wow," was all Shirou could muster by way of a response as he started into his meal as well. "Wow!" he exclaimed as he munched on a piece of calamari, "This is great Karen-san!"

"I'm happy that you are enjoying it," Karen stated with a small smile and sporting a light pink blush on her cheeks. Just then the doorbell rang and Shirou eyes widened in panic when realized that this situation was not going to look good. "It seems someone is at the door, would you like for me to see who it is?" Karen inquired as she cocked an eyebrow and stared intently at Shriou who immediately shot out of his seat.

'It's Sakura and Fuji-nee!' Shirou thought to himself in panic before he heard Karen's question. "NO!" he cried out as his eyes went wide with fright, but then he realized that he may have offended Karen. "Sorry, but I think I should answer that," Shirou apologized sheepishly as he turned and opened the door.

"I will go hide," Karen stated as she got up from her seat and followed behind Shirou.

"Huh?" Shirou asked as he stopped and turned around.

"I think it would be best for me to hide from sight for a while, unless you wish to introduce me?" Karen asked as she waited patiently for Shirou's response.

"I think…," Shirou started before he thought about his situation. 'It really wouldn't be right for me to tell her to hide, especially after she just saved my life and even cooked me breakfast. Knowing Fuji-nee she'd probably eat all of it and wouldn't leave any leftovers. I guess it can't be helped,' Shirou thought to himself as he released a beleaguered sigh and grabbed Karen's hand gently.

"It wouldn't be right, and besides I would feel bad about hiding this from them," Shirou said with a small smile.

Karen looked surprised for a moment as a small blush crept onto her cheeks and her mouth hung agape. "Okay," she murmured softly as Shirou led her toward the door.

Opening the door Shirou was faced with not only Sakura and Taiga, but also a young woman wearing a brown suit and man wearing a white tee-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of white tennis shoes.

"Um, senpai who are these people?" Sakura whispered into Shirou's ear before she saw Shirou holding the hand of a strange white haired young woman she had never seen before. "Senpai?" she questioned as she slowly back away with a worried look on her slender face.

"Sakura it's not what you think!" Shirou cried out as Sakura started to back away from the house. "She's a distant relative from over seas!" Shirou exclaimed before a snarling Taiga got into his face.

"Well who are they, huh? I hope they won't be eating with us!" she snapped as she shot a glare at Karen and the pair behind her.

"Well, uh," Shirou started intelligently not knowing who exactly the couple were in relation to the current situation. "Y-Y-You see," he started nervously as he looked to Karen for support, hoping that she would know who the newcomers were.

"This is my sister and my brother-in-law," Karen stated flatly.

"WHAT!" the violet haired woman in the suit snapped as she shot a death glare at Karen and a dark red blush crept onto her cheeks.

However Lancer immediately caught onto what was happening and knew that he had to play his role. "Now, now, dear. You're scaring Emiya-kun's guest," he stated with a cheeky grin as Bazett redirected her glare at him.

"I'm going to kill you both by the time this is over," she grumbled before she turned to face Taiga with an obviously forced smile. "Forgive my rudeness, I was simply surprised that my sister would call him my brother-in-law when we aren't even married yet," Bazett said through gritted teeth.

"So you're engaged then?" Sakura inquired as she walked back onto the porch again.

Bazett was about to snap "HELL NO!" before a friendly kick in the shin from Karen forced her to hold her tongue. "We suuurrrrreee arrrrre," she muttered out through her forced smile and gritted teeth.

"Now dear don't be so shy," Lancer stated as he rested a hand on Bazett's shoulder earning him another death glare which he promptly ignored. "You have to understand she has a medical condition, in fact we were supposed to go to anger management sessions together but she flat out refused," Lancer stated charmingly as he flashed everyone a toothy smile. "But enough about us, I'm sure my sister-in-law has already prepared a wonderful meal," Lancer stated as he released Bazett's shoulder and walked toward the door.

"Right this way please," Karen stated with a small bow as she led everyone toward the kitchen. As they approached the kitchen Karen caught the dirty looks Taiga was shooting at everyone behind their backs, but made no mention of it as she slid open the door and stepped in. "Please feel free to eat as much as you like," Karen said as she took her seat at the table and picked up her bowl of rice.

While everyone else shuffled in and took a seat, Shirou couldn't help but notice the spellbound look in Taiga's eyes as she stood stiffly in the doorway.

"Fuji-nee, are you okay?" Shirou inquired as everyone looked up momentarily from their meal to observe the now violently shaking woman.

"It's," she started as she slowly took a seat at the table. "SO BEAUTIFUL!" Taiga cried out as tears streamed down her face, and then she set into the food like a starved puppy. Watching her woof down her food at an unbelievable pace which consequently caused a collective nervous chuckle and sweat drop from Lancer and Bazett, while Sakura, Shirou, and Karen sat completely unphased.

As the meal continued Shirou noted that there was a lot more food then he originally thought there was. Looking toward Karen who set down her chopsticks and picked up her cup of tea he decided to speak what he was thinking. "Karen-chan you sure did cook a lot," he stated as popped another mouthful of rice into his mouth and began to chew.

"I thought we might have a few extra guests," Karen deadpanned as she set down her cup and collected her dishes before heading toward the stainless steel sink on the other side of the kitchen/dining room.

"I suppose, but we're still going to have a lot leftover," Shirou mumbled to himself as he finished up his meal and collected his dishes. Taking them to the sink he put the stopper in the drain and filled it with dish soap before running the water.

"Emiya-san, if you would like to know the method by which you can save your servant please meet me back in your room when we are done with the mornings dishes," Karen stated as she began to dry the dishes Shirou was washing.

"Okay," Shirou stated with a small frown. 'Whatever it takes, I'll save Saber,' he thought to himself as he continued to wash the dishes.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Karen or Shirou, Sakura was gazing longingly at Shirou with a sad smile on her face. 'I know she's not his distant relative,' she thought to herself, "But if she makes him happy enough that he's willing to let her stay here with him I can only hope that he'll be happy….even if it's not with me,' she thought to herself as she set down her bowl and chopsticks. Standing up she brushed off her school uniform and made her way to the door.

"Sakura-chan where are you going?" Taiga inquired as she eyed the young woman with a puzzled look in her chocolate brown eyes.

"I thought I'd get a head start," Sakura stated as she slid the door open as she turned to face Taiga with the best fake smile she could muster.

"But the schools closed," Taiga stated with a frown, "But apparently you didn't know that because you're dressed in your school uniform. I was wondering why you put that on today."

"Wait, what!?" Shirou bellowed from behind hollow partition that connected the dining room and kitchen.

"Apparently someone tired to bomb the school, but only succeeded in destroying the baseball field," Taiga replied with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

"A…bomb?" Shirou mumbled as he recalled what happened last night. 'Archer and Gilgamesh must have really done a lot of damage…wait a second. "WHAT HAPPENED TO ARCHER AND TOHSAKA!?' Shirou thought to himself as his eyes widened with panic and dread.

"Senpai, are you okay," Sakura inquired as she took a step toward Shioru who quickly realized that he had blanked out in front of everyone.

Laughing nervously he waved off her concern and smiled a goofy smile. However it was also at that time that he noticed a familiar mark on Sakura's neck. 'Another bruise? Did Shinji assault her right after I just talked to him!?' Shirou thought to himself with a small frown that went unnoticed by everyone except Karen, who had also observed the markings on Sakura's neck but had decided to keep quite about it.

"Oh, okay," Sakura stated with a small smile as she turned to leave.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Shirou called out as the young woman set one foot out of the door. "Would it be okay if I came by later, you know, to talk?" Shirou inquired with small smile.

With a pink tinge adorning her cheeks Sakura simply nodded in response before she headed out the door.

"Wear protection," Taiga stated through a mouthful of food.

"HUH!?" Shirou cried out as his cheeks turned a deep shade of red and his eyes went as wide as saucers.

"You're too young to be having children," the light brown haired woman stated firmly as she collected her dishes, stood up, and placed them in the sink.

"It's not like that!" Shirou snapped as he glared at the older woman. However, Taiga only shrugged in response and headed toward the door.

"Well I'll see you at dinner time if you two are done by then," Taiga stated with a snicker as she stepped out the door and headed down the hall.

"Fuji-nee," Shirou growled as he gripped a porcelain bowl so tightly that it almost shattered in his hands.

"Emiya-san, meet me in your room when you are finished please," Karen stated as she slipped the bowl out of Shirou's hands, dried it, and set it on the rack. She then calmly brushed past him and headed toward the door.

"Were do you think you're going?" Bazett inquired as she looked up from the television toward Karen with a confused look in her violet irises. "We still have to think up some strategies."

"I will be back soon enough," Karen stated with a small bow as she ignored Bazett's protest and headed out the door and down the hall.

"Weirdo, better not screw and call me in to finish it," Bazett grumbled as she folded her arms over her chest and pouted while turning back to watch the television.

"You know you're not all that normal yourself," Lancer commented with a devious smirk as he saw Bazett glare at him out the corner of his eye.

"Shut up, dear," Bazett drawled sarcastically as she threw a couch pillow at him with incredible speed, power, and accuracy.

"OMFH!" was Lancer's muffled reply as the pillow smacked into his face.

"Those two are insane," Shriou mumbled to himself as he slid open the door and headed down the hall toward his room. Upon arriving at his door he could hear some faint muffling sounds and then a loud thud. 'What is she doing?' he thought to himself as he furrowed his brow slid the door open. Once the door was completely open Shirou was greeted by a sight that would have at least earned a chuckle had Karen not been glaring at him, although her facial expression had stayed the name.

Apparently she had tried to move Saber from her room into Shirou's room with disastrous results. Not only was she smothered by Saber who had apparently fallen on top of her, but the way they landed made for a very ecchi scene. Saber's arm was draped over Karen's shoulder and had pulled down her blouse just enough for Shirou to get a good glimpse of her black bra. Saber's other hand was extremely close to Karen's nether regions, and her lips were inches away from the white haired girls.

"Am I early?" Shirou inquired with a smirk as he closed the door behind him and lifted Saber off and set her down on his futon. 'Good thing she's still sleeping,' Shirou thought to himself with a weary smile as he turned to face Karen who was readjusting her bra.

"Well, I suppose we should get started," Karen stated, completely ignoring Shirou's smart-alecky remark. Getting up and walking over toward Shirou she stared dispassionately into his amber eyes for a moment before pulling him over into a hunch, at near light speed, and yanking his shirt over his head.

"What the!?" Shirou cried out as Karen jammed her index and middle finger's into the center of his chest before her eyes started to glow an eerie blue. Suddenly a bright blue flame surged into Shirou's chest and a magic circle featuring the omega sign appeared on his chest.

"This will hurt for a moment, but unfortunately I lack the necessary materials to make a far less painful concoction," Karen stated as she walked toward Saber who had started to stir.

Suddenly Shirou felt a sharp pain in his chest, and then he felt as though someone was crushing his ribs and ripping his heart out at the same time. "GAH!" he cried out as he feel onto the floor and hunched over in pain.

"Master?" Saber inquired weakly as she tried to force her eyes open only to see canary yellow irises hovering inches away from her face.

"Good morning Saber," Karen stated with a small smile as reached into her blouse and pulled out a blood red dagger with an onyx hilt.

"Ortensia-san! What, GAH!" Shirou cried out in pain as he looked over at the white haired girl who had started to strip away the top of Saber's royal blue gown.

"Why retrieving a Servant to use against my father of course," Karen stated evilly, although her facial expression did not change. "With you two out of the way the world will no longer be in danger. This is God's will."

"What are you talking -GAH- about!? Did you poison me or somethinig!?" Shirou snapped out as he tried to rise to his feet.

"Don't move too quickly Emiya-san, otherwise the pain will only intensify. It would be easier if you let your body shutdown while lying down. To answer your question however, the meal I prepared was your "last meal" so to speak. I would have felt guilty simply killing you out right," Karen stated as she watched Saber's eyes widen in horror. "Don't worry Saber, I'll supply you with mana we'll retrieve the Grail along with Lancer and Bazett. Then you can feel free to make your wish after we defeat them," Karen stated with a small smile.

"What have you done to my Master!?" Saber hissed weakly as she tried to push herself up onto her elbows only to fall right back down. 'Damn it, I'm too weak,' she thought to herself as she gritted her teeth and tried to force herself up again.

"Oh, it was nothing important. I simply severed all of his magical circuits and caused his body to prematurely shutdown," Karen stated as she raised the knife above her head.

"Damn you, why! Why did you even bother saving us!" Shirou hissed as he backed against the wall and glared at Karen while gritting his teeth. 

"I saved you in order to keep my father from getting your command spells. You should never trust a person you just met, Emiya-san," Karen stated with a neutral expression on her face. "Believe me I didn't want to do this, but I must stop the paradox. It is God's will, as well as the Church," Karen stated as she prepared to bring the knife down on Saber's heart.

Suddenly several tiny black daggers shoot through the room preparing to strike Karen's vital spots. 'NO!' Karen thought to herself as her eyes widened with fright, 'I cannot fail!'

"LOOK OUT!" Shirou bellowed as he pushed the white haired girl out of the way in just enough time allowing the daggers to embed themselves in the floor. A pale shadow could be seen for less then a second, and then it suddenly disappeared.

'He retreated?' Saber thought to herself with a frown as she looked toward her weakened Master and the deceptive Church agent.

'He saved me? Even though I was about to kill him? How can this be, he is the cause of the paradox isn't he?' Karen thought to herself as she gazed down at the heaving and profusely sweating Shirou in her lap. 'Perhaps that Church was wrong,' Karen thought to herself with a frown as she dropped the dagger onto the floor and placed a hand on Shriou's back. Suddenly a red magic circle appeared on Shirou's back, and his breathing eased and slowly became steady again.

"It seems I was a bit too forward," Karen said to herself as she looked up to see Saber glaring at her. "Forgive me, but it appears I had the wrong person," Karen stated as she walked toward Saber and placed a hand on the woman's chest allowing a pale blue glow to emanate on her chest.

"Unfortunately I lied to Emiya-san, I do not know anyway to supply you with mana. However I can supply you with some of mine for right now. Hopefully you all will be able to figure something out," Karen stated with a small smile as Saber felt her strength seep back to her.

"I hope to see you all again in the future," Karen stated as she got up onto her feet.

"Wait," Shirou called breathlessly. He was still sprawled out on the floor and his eyes were closed.

"Emiya-san, I am already hesitant in letting you live. It would be best if I left, so good-bye," Karen stated somberly as she slid open the door and headed down the hall.

"Master, are you alright?" Saber inquired as she rose to her feet, stole a sideways glance at the daggers in the floor, and scooped up Shirou's head in her arms.

"I'll be fine," Shirou stated with a weak smile, "I just need to rest for a bit."

"Of course Shirou," Saber stated with a weary smile as she allowed his head to rest in her lap.

"Saber?" Shirou questioned weakly as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Forgive me if I am being too forward, but I assumed this would be better then if you were to rest on the floor," Saber stated with a small frown.

Not missing the frown on the blonde's face Shirou nodded his head once before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to consume his tried form.

"You are far too kind Emiya Shirou, I simply hope your kindness will not end up getting you killed," Saber mumbled to herself with a frown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you missed her?" Kirie asked as he twirled his smooth gold cross in his rough and calloused fingers. He was currently sitting on one of the old wooden pews facing the cross in the window right above the altar as pure white sunlight streamed through the large stained-glass window.

"You know, you're Master wont be too happy about that," he stated with a dark chuckle as he used his freehand to brush back a stray strand of brown locks. "Well I suppose there's always next time," Kotomine stated as he rose from his seat, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to tend to my ex-Servant." Just as Kotomine rose from his seat a figure shrouded in a black cloak appeared out of the darkness.

Without turning around Kirie chuckled darkly once again. "I bet you're wondering why I wouldn't be ecstatic about you not completing your objective. Well to be honest I could careless, she means nothing to me anymore. Just like her mother," Kotomine stated coldly as he continued to walk toward the back room. "Don't worry, we'll be ready to attack again in the next two days. Until then tell your Master to hurry up with is end of the plan," Kirie stated as he twisted the golden knob and stepped into the back room.

The figure stood still for a moment before it slowly eased itself back into the shadows and disappeared.

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: Okay Karen might be a little OC, but that's only to help the story progress. I hope everyone else is in character, at least well enough to be believable. Any who, please review and feel free to flame.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night, or anything affiliated with it.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 5: A Friend in Need**

"Ugh," Rin moaned as her eyelids slowly cracked open and she gazed up at a familiar ceiling. 'Kami, my head's killing me,' she thought to herself with a wince as she tried to sit up and found that she couldn't. 'Well that's just great,' she mentally griped as her emerald eyes scanned her dark surroundings. 'I'm in…my room?' she thought to herself as a look of confusion spread across her features, 'When did I?' As soon as she tried to recall the events of the night before her mind was flooded with painful images.

"ARCHER!" she gasped as her eyes widened in horror. 'She can't be!' Rin thought to herself desperately as she managed to lift her left hand, albeit with incredible pain surging through her body, enough to see that her command spells were still in place. Breathing a sigh of relief she closed her eyes for a moment before she heard the faint creaking of her bedroom door being opened. Snapping her eyes open she glanced over in the direction of the intruder.

"Archer?" Rin inquired weakly as the door opened allowing the light from the hallway to beam in and revile the red head currently donning her school uniform and holding a stainless steel tray with a pot of tea, cups, and a plate cover by a stainless steel lid in her hands.

"I thought you might be hungry," the emerald eyed girl stated softly as she walked in and closed the door behind her allowing the room to become enshrouded in darkness once again. Flicking on a light switch next to the door she gracefully made her way over to Rin who simply gazed at Archer with a look of bewilderment in her eyes. "Is there something wrong Master?" Archer inquired somberly as she set the tray down on the oak wood nightstand next to Rin's bed.

"How are you moving already? Weren't you completely out of mana last night?" Rin inquired as she watched Archer pour tea into one of the white porcelain tea cups.

Stirring a small amount of lemon into the tea Archer leaned over and scooped Rin's head up off of her pillow and slowly brought the tea to her lips. "Sip slowly, it's hot," Archer stated as Rin gazed at her with a look of puzzlement in her eyes. However she complied with her Servant's wishes and slowly took a sip of the lemon tea allowing the warming sensation to ease some of the pain she was currently feeling. After a few more sips she brought her lips away signifying that she was done.

"Why are you so subdued?" Rin inquired as she continued to eye her Servant with a puzzled expression in her emerald eyes.

"Would you like something to eat?" Archer asked, completely ignoring Rin's question as she reached over and up a glass bowl with a pomegranate split in half and grabbed a spoon.

"Archer," Rin stated sounding a bit annoyed as she slanted her eyes and frowned at her Servant.

"These pomegranates are very fresh this time of year," Archer stated somberly as she scooped out some the fruit and brought it to Rin's lips. However Rin simply continued to glare at the red head menacingly.

"Answer my questions Archer, otherwise I'll just have to use a command spell," Rin threatened as she painfully raised her hand for emphasis.

Archer released an exasperated sight in response as she set down the bowl and the spoon full of fruit on the tray and gazed up at the ceiling with a forlorn expression on her face. Both women sat in complete silence for a moment as Archer continued to gaze up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Just as Rin was about to speak up again Archer's lips parted and hung agape for a fraction of a second before she decided to speak.

"I failed to protect you…you…you would have been dead if someone hadn't intervened and saved us," Archer stated as she turned to looked the raven haired girl in her eyes with a vacant expression in her own emerald orbs.

"Archer you were still tired from you earlier battle, and your confrontation with Saber," Rin said as she tried to consol her distraught Servant.

"That's no excuse, I blatantly ignored your order not to confront Kotomine…and because of that I almost got everyone killed. Forgive me Master, I swear it won't happen again. I am your guardian, your shield, and your weapon. I know my place now," Archer stated as her eyes began to mist.

"Hey there's no need for you to cry, and why are you getting all serious on me all of a sudden?" Rin stated with a small smile as she painfully brought up a hand a wiped a tear out of the corner of Archer's eye. "Stupid Servant, you can't show this kind of weakness to our enemies," Rin reprimanded half-heartedly.

"Forgive me," Archer stated as she turned away from her Master allowing her silky red bangs to conceal her face from view.

Not liking the direction the conversation was going in Rin decided to abruptly change the subject. "I think I'm hungry now," Rin said in a bored tone as she gazed up at the bowl on the tray.

"Huh?" Archer asked as she looked up at her emerald eyed Master with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"The pomegranate stupid," Rin stated jokingly, adding a small smile to ensure that her Servant didn't take it the wrong way.

"Oh! Of course," Archer replied as she picked up the bowl and spoon before scooping out more of the fruit and bringing it to Rin's pouty lips. Rin slipped some of the tart fruit into her mouth past her lips and chewed slowly, savoring the bittersweet taste of the fruit. Feeding her Master, and being this close with her made something within Archer stir, something warm that caused a tingling sensation to flow throughout her entire body. 'What a strange feeling,' she thought to herself with a small smile as she watched Rin sigh in contentment, 'But not at all unpleasant.'

As the raven haired girl finished swallowing the rest of the fruit she gazed up at the red head. "You never did tell me why you were able to get up after last night. Your regeneration ability can't be that great can it?" Rin inquired as she eyed her Servant skeptically.

"I really don't know myself, but when I awoke this morning my mana had completely replenished itself," Archer stated with a shrug as she scooped more fruit into the spoon and brought it down to Rin's lips. "I have no idea how it happened."

"Strange," Rin commented as she furrowed her brow and sucked the fruit off of the spoon.

"I see that your injuries are still bothering you, although I did use a special salve I don't think it's working very well," Archer commented as she watched Rin munch on the fruit.

Swallowing the fruit Rin winced as she looked down at her yellow nightgown. 'She changed me out of my cloths?' Rin thought to herself as blush crept onto her cheeks tinting them pink. "I suppose, my neck is killing me," she said as she glanced up at her Servant who simply nodded in response.

"That's to be expected. I'm just surprised he didn't snap your neck," Archer stated solemnly as she rose from the bed and picked up the tray. "Anyway, I suggest that you rest for the remainder of the day. Is there anything you wish for me to attend to while you rest?" Archer asked.

"Yes, I would like for you to see if Emiya-kun is okay as well," Rin stated with a worried look on her face.

"Of course, but it is strange that you would be worried about a rival Master," Archer stated with a smirk. "Don't tell me you have a crush on him," she all but squealed causing Rin's cheeks to turn several shades of red.

"Shut up," Rin grumbled as she turned away from her Servant and looked toward the window.

"As you wish," Archer stated with a defiant smirk as she backed away toward the door. "Rin and Shirou sitting in a tree, k i s s i n g," the red head sung with a toothy grin as she backed out of the door, shutting it behind her.

"Stupid Servant," Rin grumbled with a small sigh, "And her I thought she might have actually changed for the better." However as she spoke a small smile crept across her lips and she sighed contentedly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I should have asked for directions on how to get there," Archer grumbled as she continued to walk through the vast sea of identical houses in the suburbs. Walking down another identical street she almost cried when she noticed a tree she had already passed three times before. "THIS IS INSANE!" she bellowed as she punched a nearby lamppost causing it to dent and lean to the left.

"Can I help you?" a faint, but fairly nervous, voice inquired from off to Archer's side.

'Shit!' Archer thought to herself as her eyes went wide with fright, 'No one was supposed to see that! Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Turning around nervously while chuckling she came face to face with a familiar lavender haired girl. "Um, er, hi!" Archer greeted with a toothy smile as she scratched the back of her head nervously, "I was just looking for a friends house, that's all."

"Really? Do you know who they are," the lavender eyed girl inquired with warm smile.

'Wow, she's not even metioning the fact that she saw me dent a lamppost…hmmm. Oh well I'll just go with it," Archer thought to herself with a small smile. "Um yeah, his name is Emiya Shirou," Archer stated with a warm smile. For a minute she thought she saw the young woman's smile falter, but even if it did it hadn't lasted long enough for her to be sure.

"Senpai sure is popular," the lavender haired girl stated more to herself then to Archer. "I know where he lives, would you like me to take you to his house?" she inquired as she watched Archer rapidly bob her head up and down with a broad smile on her face.

"PLEASE! If you don't I'll be lost out here forever!" Archer stated as she grabbed the lavender eyed girls hand and looked into her eyes pleadingly.

The girl was slightly taken aback by this and simply nodded in response.

"Great! Hey wait a minute you go to the same school I do!" Archer stated as she noted that the lavender haired girl was wearing a uniform identical to her own. "What a coincidence huh? Well I'm Ar, 'er, Rehcra and it's a pleasure to meet you!" Archer stated with a toothy grin.

"Mato Sakura," Sakura replied with a warm smile, "Well if you're looking for Senpai, he lives in the other direction."

Upon hearing this Archer face faulted dramatically. 'I've been going the wrong way…all this time,' she thought to herself gloomily as she rose to her feet again.

"Come on, follow me," Sakura stated as she took Archer's hand into her own. For a reason unknown to her she felt herself blush at the close contact she had with the red head, but decided to ignore it as she led Archer toward Shirou's estate.

On the way there the two girls talked about trivial things, such as hair styles, cloths, and school. Both also found that they enjoyed each other's company a great deal, and for once (other than when she was with Shirou) Sakura found herself genuinely happy and smiling. Unbeknownst to her Archer was also feeling very similar emotions, although she found it rather odd that she would seek a bond outside of the one she had with her Master.

"So then he asked me out, and I just laughed at him and walked off," Archer chuckled as she recounted the day that Shinji had asked her out.

"Wow! You did!? He must have been furious…wait maybe that's why he was so mad these past few days," Sakura said more to herself then to Archer.

"Huh? You actually know that conceited jerk?" Archer inquired as she eyed Sakura with a look of puzzlement in her eyes. 'She's such a nice girl, I can't imagine her having anything to do with a jerk like Shinji,' Archer thought to herself in disbelief as Sakura chuckled almost emotionlessly.

"He's my brother," she responded solemnly as she gazed off into the distance with a pained expression on her face. Archer didn't miss this and took note of it for future reference.

'Apparently she doesn't think to highly of him,' Archer thought to herself with a frown, 'I sure hope he doesn't treat her poorly. She doesn't deserve to have someone harassing her.' The rest of the walk was held in a semi-comfortable and semi-uncomfortable silence as they made their way toward Shirou's house.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving at the front door Sakura brought up her fist to knock on the door when all of a sudden it opened on its own. Jumping back slightly in shock she was surprised to see all of Shirou's "relatives" leaving at once.

"Mato-san what are you doing here?" Karen inquired as she gazed at the lavender haired girl with a look of puzzlement in her canary yellow orbs.

"Nothing, I just forgot to give Senpai something," Sakura stated with a warm smile as she lied through her teeth. 'I really don't like being dishonest, but for some reason I don't think I can trust her,' Sakura thought to herself as Karen continued to eye her skeptically.

"Alright, but I would suggest that you come back later," Karen stated after a moment.

"LIKE HELL WE WILL!" Archer bellowed interrupting the Karen before she could finish what she was saying. Glaring down and snarling at the white haired girl Archer seemed to be the embodiment of pure rage. "I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS JOKER FOR THE PAST TWO HOURS AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I HAVE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!" Archer snapped as she shoved Karen off to the side and pushed a puzzled Bazett and a chuckling Lancer out of her way, and entered the house.

"We'll she was rather rude," Lancer stated as he ran a hand through his royal blue hair and chuckled.

"Whatever, lets get going already. We've got a job to do remember?" Bazett stated as she brushed past Sakura without even so much as a glance in the lavender haired girl's direction.

"Of course," Karen stated as she bowed politely to Sakura who returned the gesture in kind before Karen went to catch up with Bazett. However Lancer lingered behind for a moment.

"You know, you shouldn't let other people control your Servant. You have to understand that you were able to summon that Servant through a special bond, and to allow someone to take that bond from you is simply intolerable," Lancer stated with a small smile as he ruffled Sakura's hair affectionately. "I really hate to see pretty young women in distress, so try not to let the beautiful smile of yours fade away. Also, retrieve your Servant. You're going to need her," Lancer stated as he brushed past a shocked Sakura who simply stood with her mouth agape.

'He knew? But that would mean he's a Master or a Servant!' Sakura thought to herself in shock before a slender calloused hand grasped her own roughly. "Huh!" Sakura exclaimed as she jumped back in fright.

"What's wrong Sakura-san? Aren't you coming in?" Archer inquired as she ran a hand through her flaming locks.

"Um, sure," Sakura replied nervously as she shuffled into the house behind Archer closing the door behind her.

"Alright, so where is his room at?" Archer inquired as they set off down the hall.

"It should be right around this corner," Sakura stated as she stepped over a creaky floor board and stopped in front of a paper door. "Senpai, it's me Sakura, someone is here to see you," Sakura stated as she waited for Shirou to respond. After a moment of no response she decided to slid open the door to see if he was even in his room. Unfortunately she had not been expecting the scene before her and she let out a muffled cry. Before her, off in the right corner of his room next to the window, was a barely visible Shirou with his head buried between Saber's thighs.

'Senpai? But how?' Sakura thought to herself in shock before she felt a soothing hand rest on her shoulder.

"Emiya! GET YOUR ASS UP!" Archer bellowed as she growled at the red head Master and his slumbering Servant.

"Huh, wha, huh!?" Shirou exclaimed as he raised his head away from Saber's crotch completely disoriented as he blinked a few times trying to get the drowsiness out his eyes. "What's going on?" he inquired as he blinked rapidly a few times and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Sakura? Archer?" he inquired as the thick fog of sleep was cleared from his mind.

"Yeah you jerk, and what exactly did you think you were doing!?" Archer snapped as she continued to glare at the unfortunate red haired Master.

"Wha?" Shirou asked as he turned around and saw Saber blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Then, like a tidal wave, the memories of what had happened earlier flashed through his mind, as well as were his head was currently hovering above, and he realized that he had been caught in a compromising position. 'OH CRAP!' he thought to himself as he slowly turned around and noticed that Sakura was staring at him in disbelief.

"Senpai?" she asked as she continued to stare at Shirou, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Wait! Sakura it's not what you think!" Shirou exclaimed as he tried to deflate the tension in the room.

"Senpai how could you!" Sakura cried out in voice that could hardly do justice describing the feelings of disbelief and pain she was currently feeling as whipped her head around and dash down the hall leaving a trail of tears in her wake.

"Well it looks like you're doing just fine," Archer drawled sarcastically, "Now if you'll excuse me I have a distraught young woman to catch up to." With that Archer blitzed down the all after Sakura.

"Master?" Saber inquired as she noted the exchange with confusion evident in her eyes.

"Damn it," Shirou silently cursed to himself as he clenched in his fist so tightly that his knuckles started to turn white. "I'm going after her, Saber I want you to stay here," Shirou stated as he headed towards his door.

"But Master it would be unwise for you to travel alone, it's getting late," Saber stated with a small frown gracing her pouty lips.

"I know, but if you came it would only exacerbate things," Shirou stated with a small smile as he turned around to face his Servant. "Don't worry, I'll be back before it gets too late," he stated with a nod as he dashed out the door and down the hall.

"Master," Saber whispered to herself with a frown still set in place on her lips.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sakura-san wait!" Archer cried out desperately as she chased Sakura down a crowded street. 'I could have easily caught up with her if we weren't in a public area,' Archer thought to herself with a frown as she pushed past a man wearing a navy blue suit and jumped over a run away shopping cart. 'This is getting ridiculous! Doesn't this girl ever get tired!?' Archer thought to herself as she caught a glimpse of Sakura running down an alleyway. 'Great, just great,' she griped as she reached the alley and turned down it as well.

"Just leave me alone please!" Sakura pleaded as she tried to wipe some of the tears from her eyes while she made her way down the alley.

"Yeah right! Now wait up!" Archer bellowed as she check her surroundings to make sure no one could see her. 'Sorry Sakura-san, but I wont leave you alone like this,' the red head thought to herself as her feet started to pick up and she seemed to glide down the alley.

"Please!" Sakura continued to plead just as she was about to make it out of the alleyway, but she was suddenly grabbed from behind and almost tackled to the ground before the being turned in 180 allowing whoever grabbed her to smack into the ground with a loud thud.

"Damn," Archer winced as sharp pain surge through her back and she felt the cold concrete sting against her aching back. However, quickly regaining her bearings, she was able to constrain the thrashing Sakura by pulling her close to her.

"Let me go!" Sakura uncharacteristically snapped as she continued to try to fight her way out of Archer's vice grip while continuing to sob her eyes out. While she was doing this she failed to notice that the red mark traveling up her arm hand started to reach her neck.

"Just calm down for a minute and talk to me would you," Archer pleaded as she loosened her grip somewhat while trying to sit up with the distraught girl in her arms. Although extremely difficult she managed to not only sit up, but to also turn the lavender haired young woman around to face her.

"Now look, I'm not sure what's going but please talk to me," Archer pleaded as she forced Sakura to look her in the eyes.

"Why do you care? No one else does," Sakura stated as she tried to look away from Archer's intense gaze.

"Are you kidding me?" Archer deadpanned as she stared at Sakura in disbelief. "If I didn't care then why would I have chased you down for the past fifteen minutes?" Archer inquired as she pulled the lavender haired girl into a warm embrace and rubbed her back soothingly.

"You just met me, so why…why would you try to help me?" Sakura asked as she cried into Archer's shoulder allowing the hot tears to cool against the thin fabric of the red heads mustard yellow sweater vest.

"I…I don't really know myself, but I know that it hurt me to see you like this. Talk to me Sakura-san, I really want to help," Archer stated soothingly as she ran her finger's through the young woman's lavender tress. They sat in silence for a moment while Sakura continued to sob into her shoulder eventually drenching the fabric.

"What do you say we find a more comfortable place to talk at? You look pretty hungry too," Archer stated as she scooped the girl into her arms and walked out of the alley and toward the first restaurant she spotted. 'It's a good thing I borrowed some money from Master," Archer thought to herself with a small smile as she made her way into the establishment and set Sakura down in one of the waiting booths as she approached the receptionist.

"Hello, could I get a table for two please?" she inquired as a young woman with shoulder length brown hair checked the table availability on her computer within the desk. She was currently donning what appeared to be restaurant attire which consisted of a navy blue button down vest with gold buttons, a white dress shirt, black tie, and a pair of black dress pants.

"It appears you are in luck Miss, we do in fact have one last table. Hotaru-san will show you to your table," the receptionist stated with a polite smile as she pointed out a female server with long raven black hair that was tied into a loose ponytail extended down to the small of her back. She was currently donning an identical uniform and she smiled warmly at Archer who politely smiled back as she turned to retrieve Sakura.

"Come on, we just got the last table," Archer said as she helped Sakura to her feet, both ignoring the looks that they were receiving from the rest of the patrons as they made there way over to their seats.

"Here are your menu's and what whine would you like to start you off this evening?" Hotaru inquired as she set down two menu's decorated in black leather with gold kanji written on them.

"Whine?" Sakura spoke up as her eyes widened in shock.

"Red whine please, nothing too expensive but also nothing cheap. A happy median if you will," Archer stated with a polite smile as she picked up her menu and looked at the selection they were offering.

"Of course, I will be back with your wine right away," Hotaru stated as she back away and headed toward the kitchen.

"Whine? But aren't we too young?" Sakura asked meekly as she stared at Archer in disbelief.

"Well yeah, but you need to loosen up," Archer stated with a devious smirk as she glanced around the restaurant. 'I didn't exactly mean to pick something so upscale,' Archer thought to herself with a frown as she glanced at the giant crystal chandelier that hung in the center of the restaurant shining dimly and down at the red carpet embroidered with an intricate gold vine pattern. She then glanced at the table she was currently sitting at which was a classic round table with a peach colored table cloth placed over it and a gold candleholder with white candles sitting in the center.

'Wow this is pretty westernized,' she thought to herself as she noted the sterling silver forks, knives, and spoons along with intricately designed red chopsticks.

"This place looks pretty expensive," Sakura absently noted as she also took in her surroundings with a look of awe on her face.

"Yeah, but I just hope the food is good," Archer stated with a shrug as she noticed Hotaru approaching with the chilled whine in bucket and carrying two crystal whine glasses.

"Here you are, a 1971 Chateau Motrose. Not as good as the third place Motrose from 1970, but divine none the less," Hotaru stated with a small smile as she poured the two young women glasses.

"Thank you," both young women stated simultaneously causing Hotaru to giggle and both girls to blush slightly.

"Here you are," Hotaru said as she placed the whine back in the bucket and stood at attention. "Now what are your orders?" she asked as she flicked out a fancy black pen, and a white note pad.

"I'll have the smoke salmon with the truffle sauce," Archer stated with a smile as she handed the menu back to Hotaru who simply nodded.

"This would have been so much easier if I could just order a burger," Sakura grumbled to herself as she continued to scan the menu hopelessly.

"I believe she'll have the same," Archer spoke up after a moment causing Sakura to look up at her with a puzzled expression on her face. "Unless of course she wants something else," Archer quickly added with a sheepish chuckle and a toothy grin.

"No, what you're having sounds great," Sakura said with a small smile as she looked up at Hotaru and handed her the menu.

"Very good, it will be ready shortly," Hotaru stated with a small smile and a bow as she turned and headed toward the kitchen.

"So, tell me about yourself," Archer stated as she took a sip of her whine and gazed past the candle light toward the lavender haired girl who simply took a sip of her wine in response. "Ah ah, no avoiding the question," Archer stated reprimanding tone as she wagged a finger for emphasis.

"I suppose there's not much to tell, I was adopted when I was about six. My family is rather bizarre," Sakura started before she was cut off.

"Wait tell me about your family, at least your brother," Archer interrupted with an apology.

"Well Shinji hasn't exactly been the kindest person, especially when it came to me," Sakura stated with a small frown as she took another sip of her wine.

"How so?" Archer inquired as she continued to stare at Sakura with her interest extremely evident.

"Well I'm not sure, but he seems to have become colder over the years," Sakura stated with a nervous shrug and an exasperated sigh. "Do you think we could change the subject though?"

'She's uncomfortable talking about him…he must be doing something to her. I'll have to look into this when I get another chance,' Archer thought to herself with a frown. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Archer asked as she took a sip of her wine.

"I don't know…just something else," Sakura stated as she gazed down at her lap.

"Let's see, what about cooking? I happen to be pretty good at it you know," Archer stated with a small smile.

"Really?" Sakura asked as she looked up from her lap.

"Yep! But first let's see if there food is any good, huh?" Archer stated with a small smile as she nodded her head in the direction of their approaching server.

"Alright," Sakura stated with a small smile as they waited for the food to be served. After their server left they both decided that the food was delicious, and continued with small talk concerning various recipes and things of that nature. After they finished their meal, and Archer paid the bill as well as leaving a hefty tip for Hotaru, they decided to take a walk in a nearby park.

"Wow, it sure has gotten late," Sakura said with a small smile as they walked through the moonlit forest down a paved path.

"I'll say, but that has to be some of the best wine and food I didn't have to cook in a long time," Archer stated with a toothy grin as she rubbed her full stomach.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle as she noticed a wooden bench next to one of the few lampposts in the park. "Do you think we could sit for a moment?" Sakura inquired as they stopped at the bench. Archer simply shrugged in response as they both sat down and leaned back.

"Beautiful night," Archer stated as she stared up at the full moon in the starless sky. Sakura simply nodded in response, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hey Archer, what about you? What are your parents like?" Sakura inquired but immediately regretted it when she noticed the pained expression on Archer's face.

"I…I don't really remember anything about my parents," Archer stated with an exasperated sigh as she glanced over at Sakura with a compassion in her amber irises. "Look I know you are, or at least were, a Master Sakura-san. I also know that you know I'm a Servant," Archer stated point blank.

Sakura looked down at her lamp trying to avoid Archer's penetrating gaze. "How did you know?" she inquired nervously.

"Well first of all you weren't freaked out by me denting a lamppost, second I heard part of what you and Lancer were talking about, and third I can sense your magic power," Archer stated as she smiled warmly at Sakura. "However, I still want to be friends if possible. 'Kay?" she asked as she rested a round slender hand on top of Sakura's.

Sakura stared blankly at Archer for a moment before allowing a smile to find its way onto her lips and nodding.

"Great," Archer stated as she stood up and pulled Sakura up with her. "Now what do you say I take you home. I already know my Master is going too pissed off when I get back," Archer said as Sakura nodded in response.

"Aw, leaving already nee-san?" the voice of a young woman inquired from behind the pair. Whipping around Sakura and Archer came face to face with a giant olive skinned behemoth and a little albino girl donning a long sleeve purple dress shirt, red ribbon around the collar, white skirt, and black dress shoes. The behemoth behind her was currently wielding a giant sword/ax and wore a Greco-Roman metal plate loin cloth. His hair was wild and his face was rough, rugged, squared, and menacing. He looked to be half the size of an elephant, and even more muscular then the strongest man in the world. However, what really filled Sakura's heart with terror was his glowing red eye.

"Ah, Berserker and his midget Master," Archer stated with a smug smile as she watched the young woman puff out her cheeks indignantly.

"Hey! I am not a midget!" the white haired girl snapped indignantly as she glared at Archer who simply shrugged in response.

"Whatever you say shorty, but if you'll excuse me I have to take my friend home before it gets too late. If you want a fight we can meet here tomorrow and I'd be more then happy to take you on," Archer stated with a smug smile which only infuriated the little red eyed girl even more causing her pale face to burn red with constrained rage.

"NO! YOU DIE NOW! BERSERKER KILL THEM!" the little girl bellowed as she vehemently pointed a finger at Archer and Sakura who was currently cowering behind Archer.

"Damn, is there a day that I don't have to deal with this?" Archer grumbled to herself as she watched Berserker bellow his battle cry and prepare to charge her. "Hey Sakura-kun, you should get out of here while the getting is good. 'Kay? Don't even start to worry about me, I can handle them no problem," Archer stated with a wicked grin as Muramasa and Masamune materialized in her hands.

"But," Sakura stated as she started to protest.

"No buts, now get out of here!" Archer bellowed as she shoved Sakura out of the way and rolled to the side just in time as Berserker brought his ax down on where they were standing causing the bench and everything around it to explode into several tiny pieces.

"HEY I WAS STILL TALKING!" Archer snapped as she charged the hulking behemoth. "10,000 Winters!" she snapped as Masamune glowed red and then shattered into thousands of glowing icicles that shot through the behemoth cutting through it's leather tough skin like a knife through butter.

"GRAGH!" Berserker cried out in pain as it fell to the ground only supported by it's ax like weapon while blood pooled out of the gaping holes in his massive body.

"BESERKER!" the albino girl cried out in horror as he Servant struggled to rise to his feet again.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Archer snapped as she brought Muramasa down on the beast neck severing its head and causing its body to fall lifelessly onto the dirt below. "Well that was easy," Archer stated with a triumphant grin.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where could she have gone," Shirou said to himself with a frown as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He had spent the past three hours searching for the estranged girl, or Archer, but had so far had come up empty handed. However his luck quickly changed once he heard something massive cry out in pain.

"Did that come from the park?" he said to himself as he headed down the street and toward the park. 'I probably should have brought Saber along, but I don't think that would have worked out too well right now,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Berserker?" the young albino questioned in disbelief as she gazed down at her fallen Servant with wide eyes. 'Who is this Servant!?' she thought to herself in horror as she gazed up at the red head who was currently to doing some kind of victory dance. 'No matter, Berserker still has 11 lives left. I'll just have to make him stronger,' the little girl thought to herself as she watched her Servant regenerate and Archer cease her victory dance involving break dancing and the running man.

"You've got to be shitting me," Archer deadpanned as she gazed at the hulking beast in disbelief. "Why don't they ever stay dead?" she asked herself as Masamune rematerialized in her hands.

"Don't get cocky yet! I'll show you Berserkers true power now!" the albino girl bellowed as several magic symbols began to glow a vibrant red throughout her body. Unfortunately a bizarre event occurred that she had not been expecting at all. Suddenly a indescribable surge of pain ripped through her tiny body causing her to scream bloody murder and fall to her knees as she began to sob uncontrollably due to the intensity of pain flowing none stop through ever nerve.

However she was not alone as Archer cried out in agony at the same time and several elaborate black and white magic symbols appeared on her body. Archer too fell to her knees as she howled in agony as the pain ripped through her body causing her bite down on the hilt of her blade for some source of comfort.

"ARCHER!" Sakura shouted as she ran over to her fallen friend's side trying to discern what was wrong.

Unfortunately at the same time the restraints on Berserker finally snapped and he became uncontrollable. "RAGHHHH!" Berserker bellowed as he picked up his ax like weapon a raised it above his head. Within less then a second he swung down preparing to bring his blade down on Sakura who simply stared up at the beast horrified.

"SAKURA!" Archer cried out in vain as she tried to get her friend to move, but to no avail.

As she watched the blade start it's decent down onto her frail form she watched as her life flashed in front of her eyes. 'I'm sorry senpai,' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

"SAKURA!" a male voice bellowed from behind the girl was she was pushed out of way just in the nick of time. Unfortunately the person who saved her was not so lucky. Looking up she nearly vomited when she saw Shirou lying face down in a pool of his own blood with Berserker's weapon lodged in his back. Sakura simply stared the battered body with look of horror and sorrow etched on to her face as her mouth hung agape. Suddenly sound escaped through her mouth in the form of a cry/wail that would make any person's blood run cold.

"SHIROU!"

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night, or anything affiliated with it. Okay, do I honestly have to keep typing this?

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 6: Dark Energy**

"SHIROU!" Sakura cried as she scrambled to her feet, ignoring the stinging from the large gash on her knee, and dashed toward the fallen boy's side. "Senpai, senpai," she cried as she tried to dislodge the giant weapon from his back, only to find that she couldn't even make it budge. "Senpai," she whimpered as she fell to his side and gripped his cold hand in hers while looking up the beast who continued to snarl at her.

"Oniichan," the albino girl whimpered out as she fought through the pain to catch a glimpse of the fallen young man. "Oniichan!" she gasped as her eyes went wide. The sight of Shirou's battered and bloody body sent chills up her spine and caused the tears she had been holding back to stream down her face.

"Shirou?" Archer inquired weakly as she fought through the pain to see what exactly it was Sakura was screaming about. Fighting through the blinding pain she managed to keep her blurry vision steady enough to see Shirou lying face down in pool of his own blood with Berserkers weapon lodged in his back. Gawking at the body she felt something snap within the confines of her mind and everything went black as her eyes adopted a soulless stare.

**Flashback**

"_Wow! It's so pretty!" a young Midori exclaimed as her father transferred a Great Mormon butterfly from his massive index finger to her tiny slender hand. She was currently donning a blue and white sailor suit school uniform, and a pair of black leather dress shoes. Her long red hair was tied back into pigtails that calmly blew in the gentle breeze, and she was currently wearing her favorite red baseball cap with a western calligraphic M in the center._

"_I'm happy you think so Midori-chan," her father stated with a warm smile as he placed his hand gently atop her head and ruffled her hair through her baseball cap. Said man was currently donning a black leather jacket with white stripes running down the sleeves, a white tee-shirt that stretched across his massive frame, and a pair of loose bootcut denim blue jeans._

"_Hey papa, do you think she liked butterflies too?" Midori inquired as she allowed the insect to flutter to the top of her head and perch itself on the brim of her cap._

"_I believe so, but I do know that we promised to view the cherry blossoms together," he replied with a sad smile as he turned to face a large blooming Sakura tree._

_Looking around Midori noted that they were in fact in a field full of Sakura trees, and that a sea of pink petals completely surrounded them as the morning sun shown brightly in the clear cloudless sky. "It's really pretty," Midori stated with a small smile as she stuck her hand out and caught one of the velvet soft petals that had started its decent toward the earth._

_Her father simply nodded in response. After that the two stood in silence for a moment observing how the branches of the trees gently swayed in the cool breeze._

"_Don't leave me papa," Midori said as she took her father's massive hand into her own and clutched it tightly with all of her might. "I don't want to be alone," she said as she wrapped her body around his hulking bicep and squeezed him even tighter._

_Her father simply chuckled in response before scooping his daughter into his arms and smiling down at her while the butterfly atop her cap flew off into the vast sea of pink. "I'd never leave you Midori," he stated in deep baritone voice as his amber irises gazed lovingly into a pair of emerald orbs._

"_Don't die either," Midori pouted as her father removed her cap and placed a loving kiss on her forehead._

"_I wouldn't dream of it."_

**End Flashback**

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you," Sakura began to mutter to herself as she continued to stare blankly at Shirou's limp form. As she spoke these words the red mark on her arm and neck began to grow even more, like a bizarre cancer that spread like ivy down her body. "I'LL…" she started to scream before she heard someone scream even louder then her.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Archer cried out as the magic symbols dissipated and she shambled to her feet like the undead. Lifting her head up slowly her hair slowly turned stark white and once her bangs cleared her vision Sakura, Illya, and Berseker were confronted with two of the coldest blood red eyes they had possibly ever seen. Not only that but a similar red mark traveled up her left arm and face like ivy until it reached her left eye and stopped abruptly. "You…urt…san…kill…ouuu," Archer mumbled in broken syllables as a weapon began to materialize in her hands. However it wasn't her normal katanas that appeared, or her ebony long bow. Instead a gigantic sword with an onyx colored blade with blood red Norse symbols etched into it, and an extravagantly designed gold hilt formed in her shaking hands.

Above them a cloaked figure floated gazing down the scene with mild amusement. "I see, not even half of her power has awakened. Even so she's still incredibly powerful, although her complex thought process might be rather disjointed," the figure said to itself in feminine voice with a feather light giggle. "Well that's enough reconnaissance, I'd better get out of here before things get messy," the figure said as it disappeared into the night sky.

"Archer?" Sakura questioned meekly as she watched dark energy begin to swirl around the white haired girl like a tornado and explode outward.

"KILL YOU!" she snapped as she charged the enraged Berserker who yanked his blade out of Shirou's body and charged back. Upon reaching one another their gigantic blades clashed causing a maelstrom of dark energy that completely obliterated half of the park. Jumping back the duo readied themselves to go again and Berserker charged Archer who simply stood with a frown on her face as the behemoth brought down his sword preparing the cleave her in half.

"Burn," Archer said darkly as she caught the beast weapon with one hand causing him to hover in mid-air for a moment. Suddenly dark energy erupted from Archer's hand shooting through the giant ax like weapon and up toward Berserker who simply gritted his teeth in response.

"RAGHHH!" he bellowed as he released his weapon and cocked back his giant fist before smashing it into Archer's small frame sending her flying into the charred remains of a tree. Scooping his weapon of the ground he strode calmly toward the white haired girl who was currently concealed in the dense cloud of dirt and ash created from her impact with the tree.

"Death," Archer's voice muttered as several red glowing Norse symbols appeared through the fog. Suddenly thousands spirit like creatures dressed in ancient Goth clothing erupted from within the cloud of ash and latched onto Berserker who desperately tried to dislodge them by yanking them off only to find that his hand went right through them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What the heck?" Rin mumbled to herself as she finished slipping on her black skirt and went to the window. 'I could have sworn I just saw some type of explosion out there not too long ago,' she thought to herself with a frown. 'Come to think of it Archer hasn't returned yet. I'd better go check it out,' she thought to herself as she headed out of her room and out of her house.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"DEATH!" Archer bellowed as she strode calmly out of the dissipating dust cloud with a malicious smirk on her face. Her cloths were slightly charred and were also ripped in several places revealing a great deal of skin, however there wasn't a scratch on her body. As soon as she said these words the spirits attached to Berserker began to glow a pale green as they began to flake and disappear. As they did so they burned through Berserker's flesh like acid leaving giant holes oozing with blood and deep enough that the bone could be seen.

Archer laughed manically as she strode up to Berserkers smoldering and battered form. Bringing up her blade she brought it down on his head once a gain, severing it from his body and making it fall lifelessly onto the ground. "Kill you, kill you," she muttered over and over with a half crazed triumphant smirk as she waited for Berserker to regenerate as she slung her gigantic blade over her shoulder like she was hefting an empty bag. Suddenly two large red energy beams smashed into Archer sending her flying into an adjacent tree.

"Berserker retreat!" the albino girl cried as she lowered her smoking hands and ran up toward her crouching Servant who had just finished rejuvenating. Berserker simply grunted in response as the albino haired girl quickly regained control over him. He then hefted the white haired girl onto his shoulder and sprinted off faster then a being of his size should have been able to move. The albino girl cast once last mournful glance at Shirou's corpse as she disappeared from sight.

"Kill," Archer muttered through gritted teeth as she rose to her feet and glared at the fleeting forms of the Master and Servant.

"Archer?" Sakura inquired weakly as the white haired Servant turned to face her with cold blood red orbs. Sakura was slightly taken aback as she grabbed Shirou's limp form and pulled his head close to her bosom for comfort.

"Kill," Archer muttered as her blade began to glow again while she aimed it at the pair.

"ARCHER STOP!" a feminine voice cried from behind the red eyed Servant who simply grunted in response.

"Kill," she mumbled again as she stalked toward a trembling Sakura who was currently covered in Shirou's blood.

"I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!" the voice bellowed again and this time Archer stopped dead in her tracks and her blade disappeared. "Damn it, and really didn't want to have to use one of these just yet," a familiar raven haired young woman grumbled as she stepped out of the shadows of what remained of the forest behind Archer. By now Archer's hair had started to fade back to red, her eyes changed back into their usual emerald green, and the marks on the left side of her body gradually dissipated before she feel limply onto the ground.

"Stupid Servant, I gave you an order and then you go prancing around. Your freewill must be one of your greatest skills," Rin grumbled as she furrowed her brow and adjusted her usual red turtle neck and black skirt while bending down the make sure her Servant was still alive. "Stupid girl made me waste a command spell, and what was up with her hair?" she continued to grumble as she breathed a quite sigh of relief upon finding that her Servant was still alive and well.

"Rin-san?" Sakura inquired nervously as she looked between her sister and the unconscious Servant.

"Huh? Sakura-chan! What are you doing here!?" Rin exclaimed as she eyed her sister with a puzzled look. However she immediately noticed Shirou's bloody body in her arms and her eyes widened in horror as she turned her attention back to her Servant. "Don't tell me…you killed Shiou, Archer," Rin said in disbelief as she gazed down at her slumbering Servant.

"No!" Sakura cried out, "She tried to save us! Well at least I think she did." Suddenly her face adopted a sullen expression as she looked down at Shirou's body, and tears started to form in her eyes. 'Senpai, I'm sorry…this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't reacted the way I did. You came to save me…and now you're dead,' Sakura thought to herself as tears cascaded down her cheeks and dropped onto Shirou's face. 'He looks so peaceful,' she thought to herself as she noticed the fact that his eyes were closed and his face was set in a neutral expression, as if he was sleeping.

"Ugh, my head," Archer moaned as she clutched her aching head and grimaced while trying to sit up.

"Good to see you're awake," Rin drawled sarcastically as she wiped a tear from her eye glared down at her Servant.

"OH! Uh…hi Master?" Archer offered sheepishly as she averted her eyes from her Master's icy glare. 'When did she get here?' Archer thought with a small frown as she pushed herself to her feet. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" Archer inquired as she dusted of the tattered remains of her school uniform and sighed.

"What happened to Shirou?" Rin inquired solemnly.

"Emiya? I thought…oh hell!" Archer exclaimed as her eyes went wide with horror and she recounted the events that had transpired before she black out. Looking off to her side where she saw Sakura cradling Shirou's limp body in her arms. 'Wait a minute,' Archer thought to herself with a frown. "That idiot's sleeping!" she exclaimed as she glared at the slumbering red head.

"WHAT!" Sakura and Rin bellowed simultaneously. However, just as they shouted Shirou started to stir from his deep slumber.

"Um, where am I?" he asked as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

"Senpai?" Sakura asked in disbelief as her eyes went wide. "But how, you were dead," Sakura stated as she breathed a sigh of relief and cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

Also breathing a sigh of relief Rin turned to Archer who seemed to be lost thought due to the fact that her brow was furrowed and she was stroking her chin pensively. "Is there something wrong Archer?" Rin inquired.

"I was simply thinking that he must have some kind of bond with Saber in order for him to be able to cheat death like that. Believe me Berserker's weapon was no joke," Archer stated with a frown as she watched Sakura shed tears of relief while she buried her head in a confused Shirou's shoulder. "No matter, we should get out of here before someone shows up," Archer stated as she scooped up a startled Rin in her arms bridal style.

"Hey what do you think you're doing!?" Rin snapped as she glared up at her Servant who simply shrugged in response.

"You're supposed to be in bed, but since you decided to run on over here it's the least I can do to ensure you don't hurt yourself further. Emiya-san and Sakura-chan will be fine," Archer stated as she dashed off toward Rin's estate.

Meanwhile Sakura continued to cry into a distraught Shirou's shoulder as he ran a hand through her lavender locks trying to comfort her. 'What the heck happened and why am I covered in blood?' Shirou thought to himself with a frown on his face.

"Senpai lets go home," Sakura said after another minute of soaking Shirou's long sleeve tee-shirt with tears. To this Shirou only nodded as he slowly stood up with Sakura's aid and they headed out of the charred remains of the park toward his home.

'I don't know how, and I don't care,' Sakura thought to herself with a small smile as she gazed up at Shirou who had a look of confusion still etched onto his face as they walked down the empty neon-lit streets of Fuuyuki City.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So did you two do the deed?" Taiga asked point blank as she took a sip of her tea and smiled deviously. The light brown haired woman was currently donning her usual green dress over her bumble bee long sleeve tee-shirt as she sat enjoying dinner at the Emiya household.

"Fuji-nee nothing happened!" Shirou snapped as he glared at his guardian while he stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth and began to chew. He was currently donning a similar long sleeve tee-shirt, but he had put on a pair of navy blue denim blue jeans instead of his usual light blue faded ones. The cloths he had worn earlier had been burned and he found that his shirt hand a giant rip through it, front and back.

At first his mind went into panic mode wondering just whose blood was on his shirt and why it was rip from the front to the back. However Sakura said nothing, and he assumed that whatever had happened must have involved him getting injured. Of course he naturally assumed that it was his bond with Saber, just like the night they faced Gilgamesh, that had saved him. Upon reaching his room Shirou was confronted by an angry Saber who was most upset to find out that he had encountered a Servant and more than likely had almost gotten himself killed. Needless to say she apparently did not feel like talking to him right now and had stormed off after calling him and idiot. Of course his comment that women shouldn't fight hadn't helped matters much.

'Today just can't get any better,' Shirou internally griped as he took a sip of his tea and frowned.

"Well if you two weren't doing the deed, then what took you so long to get home?" Taiga inquired as she picked up a meatball and popped it into her mouth. To this Sakura and Shirou could only look at each other and shake their heads. "What? Why are you shaking your heads?" Taiga asked as she eyed the pair skeptically.

"Nothing," the two stated shaking heads simultaneously and went back to eating their meals.

'Wait now that I think about it I don't think Saber has eaten in a while either,' Shirou thought to himself as he set down his bowl with a frown on his face.

"Senpai is there something wrong with the food?" Sakura inquired with a worried look on her face.

"Nothing! The foods great!" Shirou exclaimed as he got up from the table. "I'll be right back, there's something I need to do," Shirou stated as he slid open the paper door and disappeared down the hall.

"I wonder where he went to," Taiga stated with blank stare as she popped another meatball into her mouth.

Meanwhile Shirou was currently speeding down the moonlit corridors of his house toward his room. Upon reaching his destination he slowly opened the door and gazed in on a mediating Saber.

Saber was currently donning a white dress shirt with a royal blue bow wrapped around the collar, a long royal blue skirt, black leggings, and brown leather shoes. Her hair was done up in its usual style.

"Shioru?" she asked with confusion evident in her eyes as they snapped open. "Is there something wrong?" she inquired as she rose to her feet and stood at attention.

"Are you hungry," Shirou asked point blank as he stood in the doorway waiting for a response.

"Yes, but I can," Saber started a little surprised, which was evident in her wide eyes, by Shirou's question.

"Come on then," Shirou stated with a warm smile. "It's always better to eat in the company of others. Lonely meals don't taste quite as good," Shirou said as he gently grasped Saber's hand and led her out of the room as she continued to stutter out some kind of unintelligible protest while her cheeks burned a strawberry red.

Minutes later everyone was seated at the table enjoying dinner, for the most part. Taiga was eyeing Shirou, who was eyeing Sakura, who was eyeing Saber who was woofing down her third bowl of rice.

"You know these relatives of yours seem to be coming out of the wall," Taiga griped as she watched Saber down the last meatball. "Will the others be joining us as well?" she asked as she glared over at Shirou who simply shook his head in response as he finished up his bowl of rice.

"Well I full, thank you Sakura-chan," Shirou stated with a warm smile as he turned to face the violet haired girl. However his smile soon became a slight frown when he noticed Sakura glaring at Saber. "Is everything okay Sakura-chan?" Shirou inquired as the violet eyed girl shook her head in response.

"I'm fine senpai, and you're welcome. I'll be going now if that's okay, it's getting late," Sakura stated as she stood up and brushed off her school uniform.

"Um, okay," Shirou replied nervously as he stood up as well. "Would you like for me to walk you home?" he asked as he slid open the paper door.

"That's okay, I'm sure Fujimura-sensei wouldn't mind taking me home. Right?" Sakura asked as she turned toward the brown haired woman who was currently collecting her things.

"Sure thing Sakura-chan," Taiga stated as she moved toward the door. "However, I would request that Saber come with my to my place," the brown eyed woman added as she turned toward Shirou. "I don't think it's proper for a young man and woman to stay in a house alone."

"Fuji-nee," Shirou whined as he stared blankly at the older woman who simply shrugged in response.

"I cannot," Saber said flatly as the trio turned to face her with confused looks on their faces. "I have to stay by Shirou's side at all times," Saber added as she got up and walked up to the red head with a slight frown on her face, "I need to be able to insure nothing happens to him."

"HEY THAT'S MY JOB!" Taiga bellowed as she glared at the blond.

"Fujimura-sensei it really is getting late, and it doesn't seem like Saber will listen to you," Sakura butted in as she headed toward the door and slipped her shoes on. Just as she bent over to tie her shoe Shirou noticed that the red vein like marks had spread up her to her lower neck.

"Sakura-chan what's that on your neck?" Shirou inquired as he approached the violet haired girl who immediately shot upright, eyes wide, and clapped a hand over the mark.

"Nothing senpai, there's no need for you to be concerned," Sakura responded with a dry chuckle as she back out the door. "Goodnight senpai, sleep well," Sakura stated with a small smile before she turned and headed down the stone path toward the entrance gate.

'What's wrong with her?' Shirou thought to himself, concern evident in his amber eyes. Meanwhile Taiga continued to gripe about how it was improper for people their age to stay alone in a house together.

Taiga growled at Saber once more before she followed after Sakura and slipped on her shoes. "I will be back!" she exclaimed as she and Sakura exited the house shutting the door behind them.

"Things are getting kind of crazy around here," Shirou commented with a sheepish chuckle as he turned and headed down the hall. "Well let's get some sleep," Shirou said as he stifled a yawn. Saber simply nodded and followed behind her Master.

After preparing for bed and taking a long hot shower Shirou shambled into his room and plopped down on his futon. Reaching for his pillow his hand came across something smooth and supple. Soft and malible he immediately thought it was his pillow and tried to yank it down toward his head. Suddenly the pillow released a pained moan causing Shirou's amber eyes to snap open in horror. Looking up and to his side he suddenly came face to face with a Saber who's death glare was currently baring a hole through him.

"GAHHH!" Shirou cried out in terror as he jumped out of his bed and shot back against the adjacent wall. "SABER WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED!?" Shirou exclaimed as he stared wide eyed at the blond haired young woman as he pointed his index finger vehemently at her. His cheeks were as red as a tomato and there was a small trickle of blood flowing out of his nose. It didn't help that Saber was only wearing her white dress shirt and a pair of leggings.

"I would be better if I slept in the same room as you Master, although sharing a futon could be problematic," Saber calmly replied with a small frown as a light tinge of pink crept onto her cheeks.

Calming down somewhat Shirou simply sighed as he wiped the trail of crimson fluid from his upper lip. "I think I would probably be best if you stayed in the room next to mine," Shirou offered with a small smile.

"But," Saber began to protest with a deepening frown.

"Don't worry there's a barrier around the house so there's no way that anyone could get in without you sensing them. Besides you'll be right next door so it's not like you'll have to go any great distance," Shirou explained as he helped Saber to her feet and guided her into the room across from his. Setting up her futon he turned and gave her a warm smile before heading back toward his room. "Goodnight Saber," Shirou said as he disappeared into the confines of his own room and prepared to get some desperately desired sleep.

Saber simply sighed as she laid down in the futon and closed her eyes. 'Why does he seek to treat me like a normal person? I am a Servant…but he treats me like a normal woman,' Saber thought to herself as her mind slipped in and out of consciousness. 'I should not dwell on this too much, after our entire objective is the Holy Grail. That is all I need to be concerned with," she thought to herself as she finally allowed her restless mind to be submerged by an empty sea of black.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So that's all you can remember?" Rin asked as she folded her arms over her bosom and gazed upon her Servant with skeptical eyes. The pair was currently sitting in Rin's palior room sipping tea that Archer had prepared once they had gotten in. While Archer had at first been insistent on getting Rin back into bed Rin continued to adamantly refuse until she got some answers to her questions. Finally Archer simply complied with her wishes and there they sat after listening to Archer's recap of the events that had transpired that night, or at least those that she could remember.

"Yep, after that I just blacked out. I thought you might have driven that thing off, but I guess it was me," Archer stated with a confused look in her eyes. "You said I had white hair when you originally spotted me?"

"Yes, and you completely ignored my commands," Rin responded sourly as she lifted her left hand to show that only two command spells remained.

"That is strange," Archer said as she looked down at her cup of tea lost in thought. "I think I might have been a memory that triggered it," she said after a moment of silence.

"A memory? Of what?" Rin inquired as she took a sip of her tea and smiled. 'I don't think I've ever had tea that tasted this good,' she mentally mused as she waited for her Servant to respond to her question.

"I think it was of my father, but everything is really blurry right now. I think we were in a field of Sakura trees…I remember asking him not to leave me alone, and he kissed my forehead. That's all I can really remember," Archer stated with a shrug as she took a sip of her tea.

"Hmm, interesting…did he say anything to you?" Rin asked as she refilled her cup of tea and glanced over at Archer.

"All I remember him saying was "I'd never dream of it"," Archer replied as she refilled her cup as well.

"Well then, since this seems to be getting us nowhere, we need to determine who we are going to handle the rest of the Masters and their Servants," Rin said as she sipped her tea.

"Let's just kill them all," Archer responded jokingly, but quickly apologized when Rin glared at her. "Okay in all seriousness we're going to have to kill Berserker, Gilgamesh, and Kotomine. They're too big a threat to be left alive for too long. The midget should be easy enough to subdue once we take care of her Servant, and we know Emiya-san and Saber aren't even close to being a real problem. As far as the other Servant's I have no idea because we've yet to deal with Caster, Assassin, or Rider. That Lancer guy looks like a pushover for the most part, but his Master seems like she could be trouble," Archer stated as she ran a hand through her hair and breathed out a tired sigh while reclining further into the sofa she was currently sitting on.

"You met Lancer and his Master already?" Rin asked as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, when I went to check on Emiya-san. They were leaving his house apparently," Archer responded with a shrug. "There was also this strange girl with them, although I don't think she was a Master. I didn't sense anything, nor did I see any command spells on her hand."

"Hmm, I wonder who she could be then. I am also wondering why they didn't try to kill Emiya-kun while he was injured," Rin thought aloud as she took another sip of her tea.

"Although it really doesn't make any sense, I speculate that they were the ones who saved us from Kirei and Gilgamesh," Archer stated as she took a sip of her tea.

"You mean you didn't save us?" Rin inquired, her eyes wide with shock as Archer shook her head. 'All this time I thought Archer was the one who saved us, but it seems as though Lancer and his Master were the ones who rescued us,' Rin thought to herself with a frown, 'But why would they do that? Why were they even at the church?'

"I believe they're trying to stop Kirei as well," Archer commented as she stirred a cube of sugar into her tea. Rin looked up at Archer with surprise evident on her face which caused Archer to chuckle lightly. "I just took a wild guess that you were thinking about that," Archer responded with a shrug.

Rin simply nodded in response as she collected her dishes and headed toward the kitchen. "Come on, I'm going to need to get some rest if we're going to confront Berserker and his Master tomorrow," Rin said as she opened the parlor door.

"Of course," Archer replied as she collected her dishes and headed toward the kitchen as well.

**Meanwhile**

"It's far too soon for any kind of rash action!" Kirei snapped as he glared at the cloaked figure that barely stood visible in the fractured moonlight. Both were standing in the isle of the church with Gilgamesh sitting in a pew in the far left corner currently playing with a pair of dice. Gilgamesh was currently donning the outfit he had worn the night that Archer had tried to kill Kirei.

"There's no point in arguing about this," Gilgamesh stated from the pew off in the corner. "If he wants us to move out it doesn't matter if we're ready or not. Did you forget who you're dealing with? He could kill all of us just by snapping a goddamn finger," Gilgamesh griped as he pocketed his dice and stood up with a frown on his face. "Lets just do this, taking out that behemoth shouldn't be too hard. Especially if that unknown Archer has already confronted it," Gilgamesh stated with a smirk, "Although why we all don't unite and go after her is apparently beyond me. After all she's the only one of par with him."

"Yes I agree, but to be honest with the situation we're in I'd rather try to capture that little girl then fight her," Kirei griped as went behind the altar and fished out a three swords. "Well since we have no choice in the matter; well go when we've finished making preparations. Otherwise the mission will be a failure."

"I take it both of you will be going after the Servant and her Master at Ryudoji Temple?" Gilgamesh inquired as he noted the other cloaked figure present which was currently perched atop one of rafters. "I must say his ability to bend the rules is incredible," Gilgamesh mumbled to himself with a dark chuckle. "He may make an excellent leader yet."

The cloaked figure simply nodded in response as it faded in the darkness and disappeared along with the other perched on the rafter.

"What could he be planning having us go after her? Furthermore he only wants us to kill the Servant and capture the girl. Heh, he even threatened to kill all of us if she even had a scratch on her," Kirei muttered to himself as he turned and faced the giant cross hanging behind the altar. "His goals…his ambition…all of it remain a mystery," Kirei said to himself with a malicious smile.

"Well then, let it begin then."

**To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it, besides this original fan fiction.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 7: The Darkness Within**

"Goodnight Sakura-chan!" Taiga called out as she watched the violet haired girl waved goodbye and entered through the large gates of the Mato estate. 'She was really quite tonight, I wonder what's wrong,' the brown haired woman thought to herself with a frown as she set off on her way home. Little did she know that what was wrong was about to get a lot worse.

Upon entering through the grand oak doors of her home Sakura made her way toward the spiral staircase and up to her room. All she wanted at this very moment was seclusion and she prayed that Shinji would not try to rape her tonight. 'My head is killing me,' she thought to herself as she vision began to blur while she made her way down the orange tinted corridor that led to her room.

"Hey! Sakura-chan it's been a while. Where have you been lately?" a sickeningly sweet male voice called from behind the violet eyed young woman causing her eyes to widen in horror. Whipping around she came face to face with the one person that made her life a living hell, Shinji Mato.

"Hey," Shinji greeted with a small smile and a causal wave as he leaned against the orange tinted white walls of the hallway. He was currently donning a black hoodie, a white tee-shirt, a pair of denim blue jeans, and a pair of black and white tennis shoes. "I must say I thought you were going to miss out on our session today," Shinji said with a devious smirk as he ran a hand through his wavy blue hair, "I was thinking I might have to spend the night with Rider instead. Thank God that didn't happen, huh?"

'No, not now!' Sakura thought to herself as her eyes widened in horror. Suddenly she whipped around and made a dash for her room at the end of the hall. Shinji chuckled darkly and immediately gave chase.

"Come on Sakura-chan! It's time for your medicine!" Shinji bellowed as he jumped over a stray chair that Sakura had thrown in his way as means of a diversion.

"Don't please!" Sakura pleaded as she felt her legs give way and she fell hard onto the red carpet. She didn't even try to get up knowing full and well that if this spell of dizziness was as bad as the last that the only thing she would accomplish would be making herself sick. As she lay curled up into a ball and whimpering like a puppy that had just been beaten she felt Shinji's hot breathe blow in her ear making her shiver with dread.

"Sakura-chan you already know what will happen if you don't take your medicine," Shinji whispered evilly into the violet eyed girl's ear.

Sakura could hear the malicious smile in his voice and felt him slowly retract. "Please stop," Sakura begged as a lone tear trickled down her cheek and onto the carpet.

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to hurt Emiya-kun would you? Could you even imagine what he would do if he found out what you are, what you've done?" Shinji questioned as he grabbed Sakura underneath her armpits and heaved her to her feet. He noticed that she visibly tensed when her mentioned Shirou's name, and decided that he would have a little fun antagonizing the distraught young woman about it. "Hey Rider, take Sakura to my bedroom, I want to get something first," Shinji stated evilly as a figure crept out of the shadows and approached him.

Clad in what appeared to be a black leather strapless dress, black sleeves with purple bangles, a purple leash like collar around her neck, and a pair of black and purple thigh high leather boots stood a woman who looked to be about six feet tall with a body that would make almost any man gawk in awe. Her silky pink/purple hair extended down to her feet with partial bangs in the front which reached down to her shoulders. Over her eyes she wore a purple visor and just above that, on her forehead, was a strange red mark.

"Of course Master," she responded emotionlessly as she scooped Sakura up in her arms bridal style and headed toward Shinji's room, which was a few meters ahead. Looking down at Sakura she noted that the young woman looked extremely pale, almost snow white, and that the vein like mark on her arm had extended all the way up her neck and was millimeters away from reaching her face. 'Master what is happening to you?' Rider thought to herself with a frown as she cast a concealed glare at Shinji who seemed to be fishing in his pockets for something.

Upon entering the room Rider gently laid Sakura down on the queen size bed, and didn't bother turning on the lights. Pressing out the navy blue comforter and propping the young woman's head up on a fluffy pillow she smiled a soft smile as she ran her fingers through the Sakura's violet tress. The action seemed to ease the girl's pain somewhat, but her breathing was still ragged and small beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. 'Could it have gotten worse in only a few short minutes?' Rider thought to herself worry clearly written on her features, but she immediately stood at attention once she heard the door knob twist.

Coming through the door Rider noticed that Shinji was carrying something in his hand, something that glinted in the warm orange light emitted from the hallway. 'What is he carrying?' Rider thought to herself as she quickly became defensive of a girl who she knew she could not protect.

"Move aside Rider, it's time for her medicine," Shinji commanded with an evil grin as he brushed past the leather clad Servant and made his way onto the bed. "Well Sakura-chan, what do you think Shirou-kun would say if he saw you like this?" Shinji inquired as he began to strip off the young woman's cloths by first forcefully yanking down her skirt.

Sakura could only whimper in response as her head began to throb in intense pain.

"Now don't cry, if anyone deserves to feel miserable it's me," Shinji reprimanded with a scowl as he ripped off Sakura's sweater vest and began to rip off her dress shirt causing buttons to shoot out all over the room. "You have no idea what it's like to be considered a worthless child. Ever since you came into my life I've been miserable!" Shinji snapped as he ripped the dress shirt off and threw the remains off toward a random corner of the room. "My father despises me, my mother doesn't even know I exist, and my ex-best friend is threatening me over you," Shinji stated with a sharp chuckle as he revealed the object in his hand to be a pocket knife with a red handle.

Flicking the blade out he cut off Sakura's all black lacy bra exposing her full breast to the elements. As if by a chain reaction a cool breeze whipped through the room causing her nipples to harden instantly and her slender frame to shiver.

"Well it's good to see you're excited," Shinji stated with a diabolical smirk as he proceed to unbutton his jeans and slip them down to his knees. "You know what Shirou said to me the other day? He said if he ever found out that I was hurting you he wouldn't hesitate to defend you, but I think he might change his mind once her finds out what a monster you really are. Then it'll be your turn to be miserable," Shinji whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickling her slightly, as he began to pull down her black lace panties.

'Senpai…,' Sakura thought to herself as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Crying again, huh?" Shinji asked as he flicked out his knife again. "Tell you what, for every tear I'll cut your face once? So you can either shut up and take it, or I can make you so ugly that your precious Shirou-kun won't be able to stomach you anymore," Shinji snapped as he brought the blade toward Sakura's cheek and pressed it ever so lightly against her silk cheek.

"Master!" Rider spoke up in a stern voice with her anger evident only in her voice.

"You shut the hell up!" Shinji spat as he fished a small black book out of the front pocket of his hoodie. "I can control you! I am your Master, not her! You will do as I say!" Shinji snapped as he glared at his Servant.

Rider could only grit her teeth in response as she watched her ex-Master whimper under the crazed young man.

"Good," Shinji sneered as he redirected his attention back to Sakura. "Now where were we?" he asked with a sadistic smile and a devious glint in his navy blue irises. "Oh yes, I was just telling to shut up!" Shinji snapped again as he brought the blade toward Sakura's cheek again.

Meanwhile Sakura was wagging a mental war in order to maintain her willpower. 'Senpai, Archer, Rider, someone please help me,' Sakura thought to herself as felt Shinji press the blade of the knife down onto her cheek. Closing her eyes she tired to block out the pain that she was feeling, but to no avail. However as she lay with her eyes close she could hear a voice, faint at first, coming to the foreground.

'No one can save you, you are mine,' a dark male voice rang in the back of her head. 'You are the vessel I will you use to exact my revenge on humanity. Accept your fate and allow the worms to corrupt you. You will die anyway, but at least die with a purpose,' the voice stated with a dark chuckle.

'No please,' Sakura pleaded but the voice merely released a snort in disgust.

'Why do resist? Your sister abandoned you, Shirou is in love with another woman, and you are raped and beaten everyday. I offer you the chance to exact your revenge on them. To make them suffer as you have suffered,' the voice rang in her mind.

'But," Sakura tried to argue.

'Do not lie to yourself; you've already killed innocent people. If it wasn't for his power you would have done much worse by now, that I can guarantee you. Now give in, with my power you can be saved,' the voice stated as it felt Sakura slowly give in to the dark power flowing through her veins. 'Good, very good, now our revenge can begin.'

Suddenly Sakura's eyes snapped open revealing blood red irises. Suddenly the mark on her neck grew rapidly up toward her eye and around it while her hair turned almost stark white aside from light hints of purple.

"GAH!" Shinji cried out in horror as he leapt off of Sakura, dropping his knife in the process.

Rising slowly from the bed a black one piece outfit with red stripes running down it vertically, and it slightly resembled a turtle neck.

"Rider stop her!" Shinji snapped as he reached for his book. Upon retrieving it black ball of flame erupted from out of nowhere and incarnated the book. Shinji immediately dropped what remained of the book and tried to scramble away. Unfortunately, just as he made it to the door, he felt a pair of slender hands grasp his head tightly before his neck whipped from one side to the other within less then a second with a loud "CRACK!". Shinji fell lifelessly onto the ground and his cold navy blue eyes met with purple visor.

"Pathetic," Rider hissed as she turned back toward her Master with a frown on her face. "Master are you okay?" she inquired with concern evident in her voice as she started to approach the young woman who sat starring at the floor. Suddenly a black shadow like figure erupted from the floor at Sakura's side.

"Rider…go to Shirou…tell him I'm sorry, and warn him," Sakura whispered as a lone tear trickled down her face and feel onto the carpet at her feet. "Protect him from me Rider, no matter what," Sakura stated solemnly as her head slowly rose. "Now go before I completely lose control," Sakura demanded in low voice as her blood red irises met with Rider's visor.

"Master," Rider started with a worried tone in her voice as she tried to approach the young woman.

"GO!" Sakura cried out as a powerful gust of wind blew Rider through the door.

Scrambling to her feet Rider cast on last sorrowful glance at her Master before disappearing down the hall.

"I'm sorry senpai..." Sakura whispered to herself as tens of Shadows began to appear at her side. Within seconds the shadows filled the room.

Meanwhile, outside the Mato residence, a lone figure stood in the driveway next to an all black limousine. All though the figure's face could not be seen his wooden cane, navy blue robe, yellow green gi, and forest green hakama pants were evident amidst the dim glow of a porch light.

"Well it seems that my part of the bargain has been held up, now all that remains is for me to deliver her to him. Then the power of the Grail will be mine," the figure stated with a hearty chuckle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sakura-san!" Archer exclaimed as she awoke from her deep slumber. Her eyes were wide with fright and her heart was beating a mile a minute. "I have to get there now!" she said to herself as she shot up out of her futon and made summoned her outfit. Gazing out the window she noted that it must been around seven o'clock due to the fact that the sun had hardly risen. "Hopefully Master is still resting," Archer mumbled to herself as she opened the window and prepared to step out.

"Now where do you think you're going," a tired voice inquired with a yawn from the doorway.

'Crap!' Archer thought to herself with a frown as she looked up to face Rin who stood in the doorway donning her usual casual/battle wear. "I was about to…uh," Archer responded trying to think up a good lie.

"Whatever, you're taking me with you," Rin stated as she approached the red head with a smug smile on her face.

"Don't you want to sleep?" Archer whined as she opened the window to the room.

"Well that's a given, but I can't have you going out there trying to kill innocent people now can I?" Rin inquired as she hopped into Archer's outstretched arms.

"This is bullshit," Archer grumbled before she was bonked on the head by Rin.

"Just get going," Rin demanded with a smirk as she watched Archer mumble under her breath while preparing to jump out the window. Gazing out at the rising sun which bathed the city in an orange ethereal glow Archer couldn't shake the foreboding feeling she was having.

Minutes later they arrived at the Mato residence and Rin cocked an eyebrow in confusion as she cast an glance over at Archer who stared intently at the estate before them. "Why are we here?" Rin asked as she watched Archer step forward toward the gate.

"Sakura-san…might be in trouble," Archer stated as she bent her knees and prepared to leap over the gate.

Rin felt her heart drop upon hearing Archer's words and she immediately ran up to the red head. "Let's go," Rin stated as she too bent her knees and both girls soared over the gate. Landing on the other side they dashed toward the entrance. Suddenly a short cloaked figure appeared before them.

"What!?" both girls exclaimed in shock as they immediately leapt back and glared at the figure. Suddenly the figure disappeared as if it was a specter leaving two very baffled girls in its wake.

"What the hell was that?" Archer asked as she proceeded to step forward again. Suddenly, out the corner of her eye she saw a set of tiny black daggers shoot out toward her. Flipping backward Archer narrowly avoided the kunai which struck the concrete at her feet. "Who's this bastard!?" she exclaimed as her eyes went wide with fright, "Master get out of here now!"

"What!? What is it Archer, another Servant?" Rin asked in confusion as she whipped her head around trying to locate the mysterious cloaked figure.

"Just get out of here!" Archer snapped as a ebony long bow appeared in her hands. 'I can't protect her against a Servant I can hardly see!' Archer thought to herself in a panic as she aimed her bow in the direction of a large oak tree. "Ten Thousand Shadows!" Archer bellowed as dark energy formed and she fired the arrow like projectiles toward the tree. They soared through the air at near light speed, but just as they were about to make contact with the tree the figure leapt out of the tree at an impossible speed. The arrows made contact completely decimating the tree and anything near it including a quarter of the Mato estate.

'Damn it, someone definitely enhanced that thing!' Archer thought to herself with a scowl on her face as she tried to locate where the specter had disappeared to. Suddenly she felt a cool breeze whip against her neck. Twisting to her side she narrowly avoided another set of kuni that nicked her cheek as she fired off more of her dark energy toward the figure who was currently nestled in another large oak tree on the other side of the estate.

"DIE GODDAMN IT!" Archer cried out in frustration as the arrows were scant centimeters away from making contact. However, once again the figure managed to evade the shot and another quarter of the Mato estate was completely obliterated. 'This bastard just won't die!' Archer mentally cursed as she did a 360 trying to find the elusive figure again.

"SAKURA!" sounded from behind Archer causing her to whip around to see Rin dashing toward her sister who was currently flanked by two more cloaked figures. "Sakura!" Rin cried out again as an eerie green glow was imitated from her arms. "Get away from my sister!" Rin snapped as a giant magic circle formed in front of her as hundreds of green energy balls shot out toward the two figures. However they were soon stopped mid-air by a shadow like figure which promptly absorbed the energy.

"Pathetic," Sakura hissed as the shadow shot toward a stunned Rin who could only stare wide eyed at the young woman who was no longer her little sister.

"Master!" Archer cried out as she tackled her Master forcing her to narrowly miss being devoured by the shadow. Getting up Archer looked in the direction in which the shadow had come from. "Sakura-san!" Archer exclaimed as she stared wide eyed at the maliciously grinning girl.

"Come girl!" the voice of an old man ordered from outside the gate, "We don't have time for this. They can handle them."

Whipping her head in the direction of the voice Archer could barely make out the outline of a hunched back man standing next to a limousine.

Sakura simply grunted in response but obediently followed the man's orders.

"Sakura wait!" Archer cried out as she tried to dash forward before Rin stepped in front of her and placed a hand on her chest.

"That's not my sister," Rin stated solemnly as she drew a set out gems out her skirt pocket. "When I give you the order I want you to strike," Rin demanded coldly as she prepared to throw the gems.

"What!?" Archer exclaimed as her eyes went wide with shock. "You can't be serious!" she snapped as she stepped in front of her Master blocking her vision.

"Archer move!" Rin snapped as she glared the emerald eyed girl who simply shook her head in response.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Archer snapped back as she continued to block Rin. However as she did so several shadows shot up from the ground and began to swallow her.

"ARCHER!" Rin exclaimed as she shot and hand out in order to pull her Servant out of the void of darkness.

"What the!?" Archer exclaimed as she tried to claw her way out of the shadows but soon found herself overwhelmed. "Master run!" Archer cried out as she was engulfed by the shadows.

"ARCHER!" Rin cried out in agony as she watched her Servant drown within darkness.

Off toward the limousine a familiar figure simply smirked to himself. "Well it seems that they'll be killing each other instead," the figure mumbled as Sakura shuffled past him and into the limousine with the two figures filing in behind her.

Rin's mouth hung agape in horror as she began to backpedal away from the gigantic shadow. 'Archer...I've got to get out of here and get to Shirou!' Rin thought to herself as she whipped around and dashed toward the gate. However, just as soon as she started on her trek across the yard the shadow began to quiver and shake before exploding leaving behind a familiar young woman with snow white hair and blood red eyes. The vein like marks now extended up to the top of her forehead on both sides of her face and body. Her battle armor was replaced by a black spandex body suit with red vein like designs running across it. Her well endowed figure maybe the outfit seemed spray painted on as it revealed every sensuous curve on her body.

Rin whipped her head around over her shoulder and cast a glance back only to stop dead in her tracks upon coming face to face with her Servant. 'What the!?' she thought to herself in shock as she simply stared in awe at her Servant who stood chuckling darkly in the center of what was left of the Mato estate.

"Pathetic Angra…that was all the power you have? It will be all too easy to take the power away from you," Dark Archer said to herself with a snort of disgust as a giant blade began to form in her left hand. "Tyrfing," she muttered as the giant onyx blade appeared in her hands again. Suddenly the blade began to glow an eerie blood red as what appeared to blood shot out of the ground like a geyser and encircled the blade.

"Now where was I?" she asked herself as she brought a spandex clad finger up to her chin and stroked it pensively. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed with a devious smirk as she located the cloaked figure tucked away in the only remaining oak tree. "I was just about to send you to hell," she whispered darkly as the Norse symbols on the now blood red blade burst into a brilliant black flame.

"Now you shall know the meaning of the word revenge!" Dark Archer bellowed as the flames shot out of the blade and engulfed the surrounding area in complete darkness. The figure within the tree began to swell with an eerie blood red aura that whipped around it like a typhoon.

Suddenly it sprang out of the tree illuminating the ground at its feet as it grabbed the tattered black fabric that enshrouded it and violently tore it off before throwing it into the wind. What was left behind was a short woman like figure with flowing light brown hair that extended down to the small of her back. Her skin was snow white and she wore what appeared to be a pair of dark purple kung fu pants, a violet halter top, and a glistening Deigan mask that concealed her face. Her body was lean and taught and seemed to hint at the fact that she had amazing speed and agility.

"I see," Dark Archer stated from somewhere within the dark void, "You aren't just an Assassin. You are a True Assassin, as were the others. It seems someone is bending the rules."

'What the hell is going on here!?' Rin thought to herself in confusion and frustration as she continued to stare at the glowing True Assassin. 'What is this power Archer's using, and where did she get it from?' Rin continued to think to herself as she watched the female assassin draw out a set out small black daggers.

"Hmph, don't even try to attack. This ends now," Dark Archer stated cryptically as the ground beneath Rin's feet began to shake. Suddenly what must have been thousands of dead souls sprang up out of the ground and descended on the True Assassin who quickly released whatever attack it had been surging up for.

The energy transformed thousands of needles which dripped with some type of liquid that caused the ground to sizzle once it dripped off the tip. The needles shot through the air at a blinding speed and completely disintegrated the spirits and shot out everywhere else trying to discern where Archer was. While the needles shot out the Assassin drew out a pair of blood red tantos and gripped them tightly in her hands as an eerie red energy was drawing into them.

"I don't think so," Archer hissed darkly as appeared before True Assassin like a specter and rammed her blade through the figures torso before twisting the blade and turning it. She then swiped it to the side cutting the Servant in half as well as disemboweling her. The assassin quickly turned to dust and disappeared into the darkness of the void.

"Kunoichi…a face forgotten by time, but infamous none the less," Archer stated as she turned as faced a segment of the darkness. Her blood red eyes still shone with a quite hate and disgust within their dark depths, but her face was locked into a neutral expression.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Author's Note: For those of you who are interested in True Assassin's identity, it is Dragon Lady (Kunoichi) of legend who was said to have killed her husband, as well as all of the members of his family, by poisoning their food right after their marriage. Also, some liberties were obviously taken, but hey I King Arthur can be turned into woman there's no reason to be too accurate! ;P

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Now for you," Archer said as she was enveloped by the shadows again.

"What!? Archer what are you talking about!?" Rin bellowed as she whipped her head around. However, she soon realized that only Archer could probably see through the endless see of black before her. 'What is she talking about?' Rin thought to herself as she pulled out a set of jewels and gritted her teeth. 'Whatever's she's thinking I have to be ready for her. If worse comes to worse I can always use another command spell.'

"It won't do you any good," Dark Archer whispered in her ear causing the girl the gasp in shock and horror.

"A-A-Archer? What are you doing?" she inquired as she as she tried to turn around to face her, but immediately stopped once she felt the tip of Archer's blade prick her back. "Archer I don't understand. I am your Master!" Rin bellowed as her voice quivered with a mixture of rage and fear.

"You are unworthy of even thinking those words," Dark Archer stated coldly.

"Is that so," Rin stated with a slight frown as she twirled the jewels in her hands. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she prepared herself to launch an offensive. "Well allow me to prove myself!" she snapped as she twirled around and threw the jewels at what she hoped was Archer. "Gah!" she hissed in pain as she clutched her sore ribs, but a few cracked ribs were the least of her concern right now.

The jewels exploded on contact with something first incarnating it, and then freezing it in a thick sheet of ice. "HA!" Rin cried out triumphantly as she glared at the figure burning and encased in sheet of ice. However her smug smile soon fell off and her mouth hung agape as she watched Shinji Mato's corpse burn. "No!" she gasped as she started to back pedal.

"What's wrong Master, I thought you were going to prove yourself to me? Why waste your time killing a corpse?" Dark Archer's asked as her voice reverberated within the infinite darkness followed by a dark chuckle.

'Come on Rin, you've got to think of something,' the raven haired young woman thought to herself in a panic as her arms began to glow a faint green allowing her to illuminate almost ten meters of the space around her. 'So we're still near the Mato estate, good' Rin thought to herself with a small smile, 'At least I know the terrain a bit.'

"You seem happy about something; I hope I don't ruin that for you when I run you through with my blade!" Dark Archer bellowed as the giant blood red blade shot past Rin who narrowly avoided in by crouching. Her body was aching all over, but she knew if she let up she was done for. "Not bad, but how about this!?" Archer snapped again as she unleashed a furious set of sword swipes. Rin ducked under a sword swipe and jumped over a sweep while narrowly dodging by slapping the blade away at the last possible second.

"My turn," Rin muttered as the green glow expanded and transformed into a magic circle. Rin quickly dodged another sword swipe while thinking, 'What the hell is this girl? She's swinging that thing like it's bat,' before she kneed the red head in the stomach causing her to gasp. Suddenly a flurry of green magic energy shot out the circle and slammed into the surprised Servant causing her to fly into the crumbling remains of the Mato estate completely decimating what remained standing. "Tch, and I thought you were something special," Rin stated with a smug smile as she folded her arms over her chest triumphantly.

"Not bad," Archer's voice sound through the void, "Perhaps I took it too easy on you. But now there are no more games." Suddenly as giant red energy blast shot through the dark toward a shocked Rin who could only watch in horror. "Die," she hissed in a deathly low tone of voice.

'No, not like this,' Rin thought in horror as her life flashed before her eyes. 'I'm sorry Sakura..." she thought to herself as tears streamed down her face. The energy blast slammed into her with a bone crunching amount of force which sent her flying as she was enveloped by the red energy.

Upon slamming onto the ground she heard Archer saunter over. She couldn't even force her eyes to open and her whole body felt numb. She could barely sense Archer lifting her up off of the ground by the tattered remains of her outfit which was now barely covering her essentials.

"So you're still alive huh? Usually you pathetic mortals would have been obliterated, but you seem to be something special. I must say I am pleasantly surprised, now we can really have some fun," Archer stated with a sadistic smile evident in her voice. "Open your eyes…Master," she drawled sarcastically as she watched the bloody and battered teen struggle to open her emerald eyes. However upon coming face to face with the girl's bloody face and gazing into her emerald orbs she felt her heart drop.

**Flashback**

"It's all pointless," a teenage Midori stated as she sat with her legs curled up to her chest. Her long bangs were currently concealing her eyes from view, but the tone of her voice spoke of the endless sorrow in her heart. She was currently donning a tattered forest green blouse, a pair of denim blue jeans that were torn in several places exposing the various wounds on her muscular legs, and a dirty pair of black and white tennis shoes.

Staring out over moonlit Fuuyuki City from atop the crumbling remains of an abandoned skyscraper her father could only nod in response. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way," he said in a sympathetic tone as he hovered above his daughter with concern evident in his amber eyes. Running a hand through his short silver hair he released an exasperated sigh before dusting off his black body armor and taking a set on a rusty steel beam next to his daughter.

"She didn't deserve to die…it's all my fault. I should have protected her!" Midori cried as she began to sob uncontrollably. Her shoulders began to shake violently and her chest heaved in and out as though she was short on breath as her father scooped her up in his arms. "I should have protected her…it should have been me that died, not her. She didn't even know anything about us," Midori mumbled as she continued to cry while her father hugged her tightly and held her in his arms as though she was still his little girl.

"Don't ever think that, neither one of you should have died," he father quietly scolded her as he ran one of his massive hands comfortingly through her hair. "I know you loved her, but if you had died instead of her there would be no one to stop him. She knew that and that's why she did what she did. Midori-chan, as much as it pains me to say this, you must continue to fight against him…I'm simply not strong enough and don't have anywhere near the power you two do," he said as he felt her sobbing ease to a few sniffles.

"I guess you were right, you can't save everyone. From now on I'm only going to protect those that mean something to me, the rest be damned. If I hadn't tried to save them all Cho wouldn't have had to die," Midori stated as she brought up a slender finger and brushed as tear away from her cheek. "You know she had eyes just like mom," Midori stated with a sniffle and a small sad smile. "I can't remember much about her but I definitely know they had the same intense green eyes."

Her father only nodded in response as he continued to stare at the city. After that they sat in silence for a moment, but then he decided to speak up again. "I know what it feels like…to have the one you love die in your arms," he said with a dry chuckle, "The pain will ease but you'll never be rid of it…ever." Midori nodded as brushed her bangs out her eyes.

"I know."

**End Flashback**

'Cho…who…I don't understand,' Midori thought to herself as the fog that currently surrounded her mind began to dissipate. Upon slightly regaining her composure Archer noted that someone or something was currently in her hand dangling by its feet. "Master?" Archer questioned as the darkness started to dissipate. Her hair also started to return to its original color, as well did her eyes and outfit. Once the darkness had completely dissipated Archer was greeted by the gruesome sight of her battered Master, and her eyes went wide with shock and horror. "MASTER! Who did this to you!?" she cried in horror as she set the young woman down and tried to determine who best to treat her wounds.

"What the hell (cough, cough) are you some type of schizophrenic or something? (Cough) Didn't you notice that you were the one holding me up, idiot?" Rin asked with a scowl evident on her face.

"What are you talking about," Archer asked with confusion evident in her eyes as she wrapped the young woman in her cloak and scooped her up in her arms bridal style.

"You did this to me…don't you remember?" Rin asked with a puzzled look in her half opened eyes.

Archer gasped in shock. "I-I-I did what!?" she stuttered out as she tried to regain her composure.

Rin eyed with a puzzled look in her eyes again, but simply sighed and responded, "We'll discuss this later. For now all I want to do is sleep."

Archer stood silent for a moment before she simply nodded in response and set off toward Rin's house at a blistering pace.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Master they're coming for us next," an elaborately cloaked woman stated from inside a small Shinto shrine as her slender fingers brushed a stray strand of silver hair from the front of her face. What could be seen of her face was slender and her pouty lips matched perfectly with her slightly pointed nose.

"I guess it was unavoidable," the voice of a young man stated nervously as a figure stepped out from the shadows. Currently donning his school uniform Issei stepped beside the cloaked woman and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger. "Caster…do you think we stand a chance?" he asked with uncertainty evident in his voice.

Caster simply smiled warmly in response. "Issei-kun do you even need to ask? For me not to even have to drain one soul tells me that we have all the power we need to defeat these Servants," she said as she turned a place a feather light kiss on his cheek causing the young to go stiff as a board and to blush red as a tomato.

"U-U-Uh okay!" he stuttered out as he tried to regain his composure. "Ahem, well I'll be back in a little while. I forgot that I needed to pick something up," Issei said as he headed out of the shrine and toward the stone steps.

"Be careful Master," Caster said as she followed him outside and stopped at the crimson pillars of the entrance.

"Don't worry, I doubt they'll attack me in broad daylight," Issei responded with a warm smile as he waved goodbye and headed down the stairs.

"Come back to me Issei," Caster whispered as she watched the blue haired young man turn at the bend and disappear down the mountain.

**To Be Continued**

Author's Note: Okay I know half of you are going WTF! Issei is totally gay/not into women like that! Or you're saying that he's practically terrified of them (aside from Saber), however I will explain everything in either the next chapter or next two chapters. Plus I thought the pairing was kinda' cool and made better use of both of their characters…but maybe not.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it:P

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 8: Issei's Got a Girlfriend!?**

"Alright!" Shirou bellowed as he set into his daily routine of sit ups and push ups. "107, 108, 109, 110!" Shirou cried out as he strained to finish the last of his set of push ups. Lying on his stomach for a moment he took a couple of deep breaths and allowed his aching arms to rest. The sun that filtered thought the windows made the freshly polished wooden floor shine brightly, and slightly blinded Shirou. 'Alright, after this I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll cook something for everyone,' Shirou thought to himself with a tired smile as his eased himself up and headed out of the dojo while wiping beads of sweat from his brow.

'Wow, it looks like it's going to be a nice day,' Shirou thought to himself with a small smile as he headed toward the bathroom and removed his sweaty tee-shirt before placing it in the cloths hamper. However upon full entering the bathroom he heard a small sigh. Looking toward the direction of the bath his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.

"SABER!?" he exclaimed as he began to back pedal in shock.

"SHIROU!?" Saber also exclaimed in shock as her eyes went wide as she grabbed her wash cloth in vain attempt to cover nude form. "Um, forgive me Master, but I hope you wouldn't mind if I finished my bath," Saber said in shaky voice as she tired to conceal the rosy blush that adorned her cheeks.

"Of course not! Sorry about that!" Shirou exclaimed as he sped out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him. 'Wow,' he thought to himself with embarrassment evident in the strawberry red blush as he had on his cheeks as he leaned against the bathroom door and tired to calm himself down.

A few minutes later Saber came out donning at fluffy white towel that barely concealed her unmentionables. This caused the pair to blush upon seeing each other again as Shirou quietly shuffled into the bathroom and Saber toward her room.

After showering Shirou got dressed in his usual outfit and headed toward the kitchen to try to find something to cook for breakfast.

"Hmmm, lets see what I have in the fridge," Shirou said to himself as he opened up the refrigerator door and peered inside. He was currently donning his favorite white tee-shirt with long navy blue sleeves, and a pair of worn jeans. "Let's see," he said to himself with a small smile as he gazed into the near empty box, aside from a carton of orange juice and an apple. "I guess I have to go to the store," Shirou grumbled to himself as he shut the door and stepped out into the dining room.

"Shirou!" a familiar perky voice called out as Taiga stepped out from the hallway into the dining room with a grin on her face.

"Hey Taiga, sorry but it doesn't look like we'll be having breakfast this morning," Shirou said with an apologetic smile. 'Get ready for it,' he thought as he braced himself for the inevitable.

"WHAT!" Taiga bellowed as her eyes went wide while the fires of rage burned in them.

"There we go," Shirou mumbled to himself as he headed toward the door.

"What are we gonna do! I can't make it through the day without some kind of sustenance!" Taiga cried out pathetically as false tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Well actually I'm getting ready to head to the store, so if you want to hang around for a bit I'll make something once I get back," Shirou offered as they both headed toward the front door.

"Wait, why don't we wait for Sakura-chan?" Taiga inquired as she eyed Shirou skeptically.

Shirou looked shocked for a moment as he stopped putting on his white and black tennis shoes and gazed up at Taiga. 'Why didn't I think of that?' he thought to himself with a frown. "Right, I'll just call her up then," Shirou said as he walked over to the telephone and picked up the receiver before punching in a few digits. The phone rung once before switching over to "We're sorry, but the number you have called is currently out of service. Please call back again later."

'Well that's weird,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he set the phone back down on the receiver.

"So?" Taiga asked as she tapped her foot impatiently waiting for a response.

"Their line has been disconnected," Shirou mumbled with a thoughtful look on his face as he turned and finished slipping his shoes on.

"What? That's odd," Taiga commented with a frown as she stroked her chin pensively.

"Well if she does come by tell her to wait for me. It shouldn't take me too long to pick up a few things," Shirou said as he headed toward the door and slid it open.

"Okay, I guess I'll watch some television until then," Taiga commented with a frown and a bored sigh as she headed back toward the dining room. Shirou simply nodded in response as he moved to step out the door.

"Master," a familiar voice called from behind him. Turning around Shirou smiled warmly before he said, "Don't worry I'm just running a quick errand. Besides it's broad daylight, I doubt they'll attack right now," Shirou said as he waved goodbye and headed out the door despite seeing the frown on Saber face.

"Shirou, why must you be so stubborn? Did you already forget about Gilgamesh and Kotomine?" Saber mumbled to herself as she shook her head before she turned around and headed back to her room in order to rest.

"Well then, better make this quick before Fuji-nee gets mad," Shirou said to himself as he hopped on his sleek blue bike and headed out toward the store.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure she's going to like it?" a certain blue haired bespectacled boy questioned as he glanced down at the violet velvet box he held in his hand with uncertainty evident in his eyes. Issei Ryudo was currently in a small dimly lit jewelry store standing in front of a glass case that showed various diamonds and other rare rocks illuminated by the bright backlight of the case. Although not the best looking store by far it had a very nice collection and he had to admit that the red carpet at his feet was surprisingly comfortable to stand on.

"Sir, take it from a woman who knows about women and jewelry," a plain looking young saleswoman with short shoulder length black haired stated with a smirk. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and she was currently donning a black woman's suit with a white dress shirt that flattered even her plain frame. "She would have to out of her mind not to like it. I guarantee that she'll be in love with it, and more than likely with you," the young woman finished with a devious smirk.

Issei's face immediately flushed as he nervously reached into his pocket and fished out a few yen which the saleswoman promptly scooped out of his hand as she handed him his receipt.

"Have a nice day sir," she finished with a warm smile.

"You too, and thanks," Issei replied with a wave as he headed out the door and out onto the street. 'Wow, being around Caster has made me a lot more comfortable around women,' Issei thought to himself with a small smile as she he gazed up at the white nimbus clouds above and began to day dream about a certain silver haired Servant.

Meanwhile in the jewelry shop the saleswoman was currently pouting. "What a disappointment, I sure wish I had a boyfriend like that," she mused to herself with a frown, "Especially one as cute as him."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving at the grocery store Shirou quickly selected some items and headed toward the check out line. After having the groceries bagged he headed toward his bike where he set the bag in the metal cart. He then moved to unlatch his bike from the rack, but accidentally ended up running head first into someone. Both immediately flew backwards and landed painfully on their rumps.

"Ouch," Shirou moaned as he rubbed his sore bottom and stood up. "Sorry about that I should have watched where I was going," he apologized with a deep bow.

"No need to apologize it was my fault," the other person responded in a familiar voice causing Shriou to snap his head up. "Issei!?" Shirou exclaimed in shock as he stared at the bespectacled young man who was currently crawling around on the pavement looking for something.

"Shriou!?" Issei exclaimed as he snapped his head to see the familiar red head boy towering above him. "Hey, long time no see huh?" Issei said with a small smile as he continued to look frantically search for what ever it was he was looking for.

"Yeah," Shriou replied with a warm smile as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Hey Issei what are you looking for?" Shirou asked before Issei's eyes went wide and he shot his hand out under a nearby mailbox. 'Whatever he was looking for he must have found it,' Shirou thought to himself with chuckle as he watched the blue haired boy breath a sigh of relief.

"That was close, I thought I might have lost it for a moment," Issei said as he opened his hand to reveal a long rectangular purple velvet box. It looked rather expensive, and definitely suggested that there was some kind of jewelry inside.

"Hey what's in the box Issei?" Shirou inquired as he eyed the gold embroidery on the box.

"Huh?" Issei questioned looking up from the box with a relieved expression on his face.

"I asked what was in the box," Shirou repeated with a smirk, "Don't tell me you have a girlfriend!"

Issei simply sat stupefied on the pavement for a moment allowing his mouth to hang open. "O-O-O-Of course not!" Issei tried to deny but the crimson blush on his cheeks told Shirou a different story.

"Oh? So who's that for, your mother?" Shirou inquired as he bent down and unlatched his bike while Issei stood up and brushed off his pants.

"Don't be ridiculous," Issei replied with a frown as he placed the box in his uniform's jacket pocket. "Anyway, it was nice seeing you but I've got to get back to the temple," Issei said with a warm smile and a wave as he walked past Shirou who had just mounted his bike.

"Okay, but what's your rush?" Shirou inquired with a devious smirk still set in place as he waited for Issei to goof up. 'He can't help but to mess up at some point,' Shirou thought to himself.

"Caster's doesn't like me being gone for too long," Issei responded casually before his eyes went wide and he realized what he just said.

"Caster?" Shirou questioned with concern evident in his amber eyes. He then glanced at Issei's left hand and he almost fell off of his bike in shock. While there were three command spells on his hand they were an odd shade of navy blue, however Shirou failed to notice this due to the fact that he was more concerned with the fact that Issei was actually a Master. 'Issei's a Master!? How, he doesn't know any magic!' he thought to himself as the blue eyed boy turned to face him with a sheepish grin.

"Well then I guess I'll be on my way home, see ya'!" Issei said with a nervous whistle as he started to back away slowly and then broke out into an all out run.

"Issei wait!" Shirou called out as he set his feet on the pedals of his bike and chased after him. 'I know what I saw, but how is it possible?' he thought to himself with a frown as he watched Issei disappear down an alleyway. Quickly making a sharp turn he spotted Issei making his way out of the alley and turning to his left. 'How is he moving so fast?' Shirou thought to himself as he stared after the blue haired young man with wide eyes. 'I'll never be able to catch him at this rate. Looks like I'll need to catch him at Ryudoji.'

With that Shirou turned around and headed in the other direction intent on taking a shortcut.

Meanwhile Issei was wheezing his way toward the temple. "I can't believe I told him that!" he exclaimed breathlessly as he shook his head in disgust. 'Way to be discreet Issei, she already told you Shirou was a Master! I guess I can only hope that he wont come to investigate,' Issei thought to himself with a frown as he wiped the sweat from his brow and brushed past a young couple as he made his way toward the temple path.

'All I wanted to do was get there and pick this up!' Issei continued to internally grumble as he glared at the velvet box sticking up out of his pocket. Upon reaching the stone steps that lead up to the temple Issei took a moment to catch his breath as he hunched over and clutched his knees.

'Well at least I got here, and Shirou's nowhere in sight,' Issei thought to himself with a small smile as he caught his second wind and proceeded to climb the stairs. However as soon as he reached about midlevel he heard the familiar sound of a bike screeching against the base of the stairway. "It can't be!" Issei gasped in disbelief as he turned around with wide eyes to see who made the sound. Gazing down the steps he saw none other than Emiya Shirou himself with a broad smile plastered on his face.

"You didn't think you'd get away that easily did you?" Shirou questioned with a cocky smirk as he proceeded to climb the stairs. "Now as I was saying," Shirou began again as he wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow, "Who did you get the present for?"

"Shirou!?" Issei cried out in terror as he whipped around and dashed up the stairs at a lighting pace.

"What's his deal?" Shirou said to himself with a frown as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Whatever," he grumbled as he shook his head and started to climb the stairs.

'How did he find me!?' Issei thought to himself with a terrified expression on his face as he ran toward the Shinto Shrine off to the side of the main building.

"Issei-kun?" Caster questioned as she slid open the paper door and stepped out of the main building with concern evident in her eyes. She was currently donning a black jean jacket, with a short sleeve baby blue tee-shirt that stretched slightly over her modest bosom, and a pair of bootcut denim blue jeans that flattered her curves. Her silver hair was currently tied back into a loose ponytail, but her braid still hung in front of her face.

"CASTER!" Issei exclaimed in terror as he whipped around to face the blue eyed Servant with fear evident in his eyes.

"Yes? Is something wrong Master?" Caster questioned as she approached the trembling young man.

"Uhhh, well you see," Issei started nervously as he corrected his glasses and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Wiping the sweat from his brow he opened his mouth to explain, but was soon cut off.

"Wait, I sense a Master approaching," Caster said as she raised a hand and turned toward the direction of the temple steps. No sooner had she done this then Shirou came bounding up the steps with sweat forming on his brow. "Stand back Master, there is a good chance that his Servant will soon follow," Caster commanded as she glared at Shirou and stepped in front of Issei.

Meanwhile Shirou was simply trying to catch his breath as he slumped over on one of the crimson entrance pillars and heaved in and out. 'Wow, those sure were a lot of steps,' he thought to himself with a frown as he took in one last deep breath and rose shakily to his feet. 'Anyway, it's time to find out who Issei's girlfriend is,' Shirou mused to himself with a small smile as he looked toward the direction of the main building of the temple. However it was also at that time that he noticed the beautiful silver haired woman that stood in front of Issei with a scowl on her face.

'Who is she?' Shirou thought to himself with a puzzled expression on his face as he approached Issei. "Hey Issei is that your girlfriend?" Shirou called out with a small wave in their direction.

"What? Do you know him?" Caster whispered as the scowl on her face shifted to a slight frown as she glanced back at Issei who simply chuckled nervously in response.

"Well you see, he's kinda my best friend," Issei admitted as he smiled a goofy smile and scratched the nape of his neck nervously.

"Your best friend is a Master?" Caster questioned with disbelief evident in her voice. 'Well this could complicate things,' she though to herself with a deepening frown as she glanced back at Shirou who was eyeing her with a look of puzzlement.

"Hey Issei what's up? Why did you keep running when I tired to talk to you?' Shirou questioned as he approached the pair and stood a few meters in front of Caster who continued to eye him wearily but moved aside none the less.

"Well you see I was trying to keep the fact that I was a Master a secret," Issei admitted with a nervous chuckle as he held up his left hand and showed Shirou his command spells. "I already know you're a Master," Issei continued with a small frown forming on his lips as he glanced down at Shirou's left hand.

"I suppose that makes some since," Shirou admitted as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "However that doesn't explain why you tried to hide that box. What's in there anyway?" Shirou inquired as Issei's eyes bugged out in terror.

"SHHHHH!" Issei hissed as he brought a finger up to his lips and glanced at Caster who was currently eyeing him skeptically. Stepping forward Issei cupped his hand over Shirou's ear and whispered, "It's supposed to be a secret!" Shirou simply mouthed a silent "Oh" in response as he glanced toward Caster who was beginning to tap her foot impatiently.

"What are you hiding Issei?" Caster questioned as causing the blue haired boy to jump in shock.

"N-N-N-Nothing!" Issei stuttered out as he clamped a hand over his breast pocket and laughed nervously.

"Really? Well what's that in your hand? Also, I would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me," Caster stated as she took a step forward causing Issei to take a step back.

"Well you see," Issei began nervously as he removed his hand from his chest revealing part of the velvet box. "I wanted to give you this after we found a way to get the Grail, but I guess the surpise is ruined now," Issei said as he cast a glare at Shirou who simply mouthed a silent apology in response.

"Well what is it?" Caster asked, her eyes wide with excitement. To Issei she looked just like a kid a Christmas time causing him to chuckle slightly as he fished to box out of his pocket and approached Caster.

"Well you see I thought that this could symbolize my commitment to you. Kind of like the command spells symbolize your commitment to me," Issei said as he slowly opened the box. 'Well that sounded a little corny,' he thought to himself with a frown, 'Although it's not that bad for something I had to think up on the fly.' As he opened the box he could swear that Caster's icy blue orbs grew wider the more it opened. Suddenly the box was fully opened and revealed a gold necklace with a triangular shaped sapphire in the center with two rounded diamonds on either side.

Gazing upon the contents of the box Caster felt as if all of the air in her lungs had been sucked out and her mouth hang open in shock. However upon seeing the worried look in Issei's eyes she knew he had misinterpreted her body language.

"Issei-kun it's beautiful!" she exclaimed as she clomped onto the shocked young man almost knocking him off his feet.

"What!? Really!?" Issei stated with disbelief evident in his voice.

"Of course! Thank you!" Caster said as she pulled back and gazed into the young man's dark blue depths with a smile on her face. Placing her slender hands on the back off his neck she slowly drew him toward her before placing a feather light kiss on his lips. She could have sworn she almost saw him frown for a moment.

"That's just to start you off. I'm nowhere near done yet," Caster whispered seductively as she placed another feather light kiss on his lips before she mashed her lips onto his. Licking his lips she earned a stifled moan in appreciation causing her to smile into the kiss. Suddenly she felt his lips part allowing her entrance into his mouth where her tongue lightly danced over his. After a moment Issei slowly wrapped his arms around her slim waist and drew her closer allowing them to deepen their passionate kiss even further.

"Well then," Shirou said with a sheepish smile as he started to back away. "It seems you two are busy so I guess I'll just see you later," Shirou stated with a nervous chuckle as he headed toward the stairs.

"Emiya-kun!?" a familiar motherly voice called out from the main building of the temple. "It is you! How have you been dear," a middle-aged woman inquired as she stepped out the main building with a broad smile on her slightly rounded face. Her short light blue hair was tied into a bun and the barely noticeable wrinkles along her thin lips gave her face a warm motherly feeling. Although slightly heavy set she seemed to have an indescribable glow about her which was only accentuated by the plain outfit which consisted of a white blouse, and a plain black skirt that extended down to her calves.

"Hi Ryudo-san, I was just about to be on my way," Shriou replied nervously as he tried to keep the elder woman's attention drawn toward him instead of the kissing couple adjacent from him.

"Really? Well that's no good, I was just about to prepare dinner," Mrs. Ryudo replied with a slight frown as she placed her hands on her hips. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay?" she asked as she noticed Shirou looking at something out the corner of his eye. 'What could he be looking at?' Mrs. Ryudo wondered as she glanced off to her side. "Oh my!" she gasped as she stared at the couple with wide eyes.

"Hey Issei, your mom's here," Shirou deadpanned as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Huh?" Issei inquired breaking the kiss causing Caster to grunt in disappointment. Looking over toward the main building he noticed that his mother was in fact staring at him wide eyed. "KAASAN!?" Issei exclaimed in shock as his eyes nearly bugged out of his head,"I thought you and tousan had already left!?"

Staring blankly at her son for a moment, Mrs. Ryudo quickly regained her composer and smiled warmly at her son. 'Well at least we finally know he's not gay,' she thought to herself as she shook her head. "Me and your father will be leaving tonight Issei, did you already forget that?" his mother asked as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Anyway, Caster-chan would you mind helping me prepare dinner?" Mrs. Ryudo asked as she watched the silver haired girl's eyes widen in horror along with Issei's.

"B-B-B-But what about," Caster stuttered as a rosy tinge found its way to her cheeks.

"That's all in the past, besides in order for you to be a good wife you have to know how to cook," Mrs. Ryudo kindly admonished as she strode over to the baffled Servant and grasped her hand. "Now come on, you can cut the onions. Just try not to cut yourself so many times this time," she said as she dragged a sputtering Caster toward the living quarters.

"Wife?" Shirou said to himself as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Hey Issei," Shirou began as he turned around, "Did she just say wife?" However the look in Issei's eyes and the crimson blush on his face told him everything.

"Well you see," Issei began nervously as he stared down at his feet as kicked the pebbles at his feet, "It wasn't really my idea, but try explaining a strange woman sleeping your bed to Fujimura-sensei." Issei saw Shirou unconsciously shudder and knew he hand gotten his point across. "Besides…Caster didn't have any objections," Issei mumbled as his blush extended and darkened considerably.

"But…how? I thought you either disliked or had an unnatural fear of women? Also, how did you become a Master Issei, you don't know any magic do you?" Shirou questioned as he watched Issei walk over toward the stone steps the lead to the small Shinto Shrine off to the side.

Sucking a deep breath Issei glanced up at a large Sakura tree hanging over the shrine. It was a wonder, given the season, that it still had a few pink petals hanging from the otherwise bony lifeless branches. However, several of those petals had begun to wilt and a few made their way down on the paved surface under Issei's feet while one lone vibrant pink petal landed in his outstretched palm.

"I found her…on the brink of death," Issei began with a distant look in his navy blue eyes as he stared down at the silky petal that seemed almost tarnished by touching his rough hand.

**Flashback**

"_Of all the days to get caught up with Student Government business," Issei grumbled to himself as he leapt over a mud puddle as he made his way up the mountain toward his family's shrine. The rain seemed to beat down on him harder the closer he got to the temple and the cracking of the thunder did little to ease his nerves as he almost tripped over a long gangly branch._

_His shoulder length hair was currently plastered to his head and on his face obstructing his vision even more then his glasses which were beaded with droplets of water. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought to himself with a frown, 'I can't believe I had to stay after because Souichirou-sensei went missing!' Jumping over another branch he turned at the bend and approached the steps that lead to the shrine. However, as he made his way toward the steps he heard a pained moan which caused him to whip around._

'_WHAT THE!?' Issei thought to himself as his eyes went wide. Looking down toward the steps he saw a figure donning an extravagant black a violet robe, with a purple gown. Her silver hair was slightly wet at the edges due to the rain and her outfit was covered in mud, as was her face. 'What the heck is a woman doing here!? And why is she dressed like that?' he thought to himself as he slowly approached the coughing figure._

'_Women…tch. Well at least she's not Tohsaka, then I'd definitely let her layout here,' Issei thought to himself with a smirk as he bent down to the woman's level. "Hey are you okay?" he inquired nervously as he kept his distance. 'I don't know if I can trust her yet, and she is a woman after all,' he thought to himself as he watched the figure nod weakly._

"_Alright, do you think you can walk or even stand?" he asked as he watched the woman shake her head. 'Well that's not exactly what I wanted here,' Issei thought to himself with a frown and an exasperated sigh as walked closer to the young woman before turning, bending down, and wrapping her arms around his neck. 'Even though I'd kind of rather not, being heir to this temple means I have certain responsibilities I suppose,' Issei thought to himself as he sighed again._

"_This is so bizarre," Issei grumbled to himself with a frown, "Being this close to a woman is unsettling." After forcing the woman's legs around his waist he proceeded to slump her over his back before trekking up the steps toward the shrine. "Don't worry well get you some help once we reach the top," Issei stated as he felt the woman behind him nod weakly against his shoulder. Feeling the woman's cheek brush against the thin fabric of his school jacket caused Issei's face to flush and for him to slip on a slick step and fall forward face first. "SMACK!"_

"_Ouch," Issei moaned into the stone step as he bent his knees and forced himself to his feet. Now his nose was stinging, probably bleeding as well, his was soaked to the bone, and he had a strange woman latched onto his back. 'Today just can't get any better,' he thought to himself with a scowl as he started to trek up the steps once again._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Well it looks like the line is dead," Issei's grumbled as he turned back to the hot tea he had prepared along side a bowl of steaming Miso soup. 'Now what am I going to do?' he thought to himself with a frown as he made his way out his modest kitchen with the dishes on a tin metal tray. At the present Issei was currently donning a pair of faded blue jeans, and an old medium sized tee-shirt that read "Top Gun". His hair was considerably less damp but lay flat on his head and occasionally stuck to his face as he moved._

_Walking thought the halls he noted that his parent's weren't home yet, and he silently thanked whatever deity that allowed that to be possible. 'There would be no way to explain this to them,' he thought to himself as he slid open a paper door at the end of the hallway._

"_Here you are, something to warm you up a little. Do you need anything else?" Issei inquired as he stepped into the room. It was a modest room with only a wooden table in the center, a futon off toward the adjacent wall, an empty closet, a stand with a 32 inch television on it, and a wooden bookshelf with a few miscellaneous titles on it. Off to the corner, sitting in the futon, the young woman simply shook her head in response._

_She was currently donning a modest lavender kimono, which flattered her curves, and she hand a fluffy white towel draped over her head which concealed her face from view._

"_Are you cold?" Issei asked as he brought the tray over and sat next to the woman who simply sat dead still. "Well would you mind telling why you were laying in the mud next to the temple steps?" Issei continued to question as he set the white cup of tea on a white glass saucer and handed it to the woman who continued to sit still. "Okay," Issei muttered as set the tea back onto the tray. 'What's with her? I just brought her in out of the rain, a complete stranger, and she won't even answer any on my questions!' Issei thought to himself as he found himself getting uncharacteristically frustrated._

"_Alright, well if you need anything I'll be in the next room…and I'm sorry about changing you. You just didn't seem like you could do it yourself, and believe me it was a pleasant experience for me either," Issei mumbled as he got to his feet and turned to leave. Just as he made it past the table he heard a soft as silk voice call out from behind him._

"_Is it because you found me physically undesirable?" she questioned as she turned to face him allowing to towel to fall of her head and onto her lap with a wet 'PLOP'. Now face to face with her sorrowful pale blue orbs Issei felt his anger dissipate as he continued to gaze upon the woman's angelic face._

_Issei soon caught himself staring and cleared his throat as he frowned and prepared to respond. "No, that's not it…it's just that I don't really get along with women, and I don't like them," Issei said with a frown as he looked away from the woman's intense gaze._

"_Then why," the woman began with confusion evident in her voice as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion._

"_Because…I couldn't let another person suffer," Issei said with a shrug as he thought, 'Unless they were a certain person named Tohsaka Rin, a.k.a demon spawn.'_

"_Is that so," the woman replied with a small smile as she picked up the glass of steaming tea and took a sip of it. After a moment of savoring the flavor she smiled at Issei before she said, "This tea is wonderful…thank you."_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Caster!" Issei cried out as he dashed over to catch the woman who was about to fall face first on the pavement in front of the main building. Scooping her up in his arms in the nick of time he managed to stumble and fall painfully on his rump. 'Ouch,' he thought to himself as he cringed while trying to sit up while brushing of his school uniform with his freehand. Looking down at the cloaked woman in his arms he noticed that beads of sweat were starting to form on her forehead and he breathing was ragged_

"_Caster, are you okay?" he inquired with concern evident on his face and in his eyes as he wiped the sweat away from her brow._

"_I can't keep on like this, Issei-san I need souls," Caster muttered out as she continued to breath raggedly._

"_Souls!? What are you talking about Caster!?" Issei cried in confusion as he stared wide eyed at the woman in his arms._

"_Issei-san…I am not human," Caster began with a small sad smile as she glanced up at the young man who continued to look at her as if she had grown a second head._

"_What do you mean you're not human?" Issei questioned as he watched Caster fish out something from her within robes._

"_I am a Servant…and due to the fact that you know this you have become involved in the Holy Grail War," Caster said as she withdrew her hand from inside her robes._

"_Holy Grail War? Servant? What are you talking about?" Issei questioned with a stupefied expression on his face._

"_I'll be able to explain after this. Please Issei-san, stick out your hand," Caster commanded as she balled up her fist that he just retrieved something from within her robes._

_For a moment Issei hesitated, but as he reflected on the past couple of weeks he had spent with Caster he felt himself obeying her despite the fact that his mind was screaming for him not to. "Okay, what is it?" he inquired as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion before Caster opened her hand and placed something that felt moldy and slimy on the back of his hand. 'What's that awful smell?' he thought to himself with a frown as he felt the back of his hand tingle as if it hand all of a sudden gone numb._

"_Now, you are my Master," Caster said with a small smile as she released Issei's hand and allowed him to gaze upon what she had done._

_On the back of his hand were now several red tattoo like designs and they seemed to glow for a moment before turning completely blood red. "What…is this?" Issei questioned with concern evident in his eyes and voice._

"_A present from my late Master, the one before I met you," Caster said with a frown on her face as she recalled the man who had tried to rape her right after summoning her._

"_Late Master?" Issei questioned as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion._

"_Don't think too much about it, now I would like to ask you if I may consume the souls that surrounded this temple?" Caster inquired._

"_Of course not!" Issei exclaimed as he released Caster and started down at her incredulously._

"_But if I do not I will cease to exist," Caster tried to explain as she watched Issei shake his head furiously._

"_No, while I don't really know what's going on, there has to be another way," Issei stated with a frown._

"_Master I need spiritual energy in order to exist, and since you are neither dead or a mage then the only way for me to obtain said energy in through the souls in this area," Caster tried to explain before Issei cut her off._

"_You need spiritual energy right? Then take some of mine," Issei stated as he looked at Caster who stared at him as though he had lost his mind._

"_Master if I did that I would kill you," Caster deadpanned._

"_Well, er, um," Issei sputtered as he tried to think of something else. "WAIT! I'VE GOT IT!" Issei exclaimed as he smiled a triumphant smirk._

"_What?" Caster questioned as her breathing became even more ragged._

"_I'll explain it later, right now just trust me…this is for the best," Issei said with a warm smile as placed his face inches away from Caster's. "This should be effective enough, at least now my soul will be able to provide you with energy," Issei said as Caster continued to eye him questioningly. Suddenly he captured her lips in his and enveloped her in a passionate kiss. After a moment Issei's body began to surge with a pale blue glow which traveled into Caster who seemed to regain her energy as the kiss went on._

'_Master…what is this? No! What have you done!?' Caster thought to herself as she felt her breathing regulate. Soon Issei gently released Caster's lips with a satisfied smile on his face as she gazed upon him with a near star struck look on her face._

"_Well then, that was easy enough," Issei said with a smile. 'To think that technique would actually be useful...OH CRAP!' he thought to himself with panic evident in his eyes. Suddenly the back of his left hand began to tingle again and a pale blue glow was emitted from it. Glancing down at it he noticed that the symbols on the back of his hand were now navy blue instead of red._

'_What the?' Issei thought to himself as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion._

"_Master what have you done? Now both of us are neither living nor dead," Caster said as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes._

"_WHAT!" Issei exclaimed as his eyes bugged out of his head in shock._

"_Since you have unified our souls you are now half dead…and if we do not obtain the Holy Grail we will both become spirits," Caster said with sadness evident in her voice. "I can't believe you would do something so foolish, now if either one of us dies the other will die as well,' Caster said as she laid her head against his chest and allowed the tears welling up in her eyes to stream down her face._

_Meanwhile Issei sat looking shell shocked as he gazed blankly into space. 'Stupid family techniques! Damn them all! Damn me for caring too much!' he thought to himself as he numbly brought his arms up and wrapped them around the sobbing woman in his arms._

_After the pair finally calmed down Caster explained what Issei had gotten himself into. Several questions later the pair decided that obtaining the Holy Grail was unavoidable, but they also determined that it would be possible for both Caster and Issei to become completely living again without the Servant side effects of needing souls. With this information in hand they decided it would be best to allow the other Masters and Servants to battle each other and to kill the last Servant standing (Issei refused to kill another human being)._

**End Flashback**

"Wow," was all Shirou could muster by way of a response. "That still doesn't explain the wife thing though," he added as he tried to take in all the new information he had received.

"Well when my parents did finally figure out that Caster was staying with us I had already used the technique. We decided it was unavoidable, and since we had already developed feelings for one another it wasn't a problem if we did end up getting married…besides I think she's the only woman I can stand to be around," Issei replied with a distant smile on his face as he gazed up at the evening sun with a distant look in his eyes.

"Well then I have another question, where did you get this technique from?" Shirou asked as he turned and gazed up at the purples, pinks, reds, and oranges of the clouds above.

"Well my ancestors were actually demon hunters and their martial art, as well as various techniques, have been passed down for ages. As the heir to the Ryudoji Temple it is my responsibility to pass these techniques on to the next heir, my child," Issei said as he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Well then, dinner should be ready shortly so why don't you come on in. Maybe Caster didn't burn half of it this time," Issei said with a chuckle.

Shirou chuckled nervously in response as he nodded and the pair walked toward the living quarters.

**Meanwhile**

"So then…tonight will be the night. They'll never see it coming," a familiar old man said to himself as he sat on the black leather interior in the back of a limousine. 'Emiya Shriou, you will be ours,' the old man thought to himself dry chuckled as he smoothed out his turquoise robe with his old brittle hands. Outside the limousine were three cloaked figures concealed within the dense forest that surrounded the temple.

"Yes, tonight will be the night."

**To Be Continued**

Author's Note: I hope I did a good job with Issei's character since I didn't really have much to go off of. I hope it was accurate enough however, and somewhat believable (notice I wasn't shooting for totally believable). Anyway, for those of you who might have wanted more detail as far as Caster and Issei's relationship goes I am considering writing a small a four chapter that goes into some detail. However all I'm focusing on right now is my main story, sooooo yeah. Anyway, please read and review. Also feel free to flame if it's starting to seriously suck.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it…so please do sue me!

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 9: Battle at Ryudoji: Part 1!**

"Wow that was really good!" Shirou exclaimed as he patted his full stomach as he gazed upon the stars and the full moon above. Lying next to Issei, who was currently sipping a glass of tea, Shirou allowed his mind to drift through the infinite thoughts going through his head as he rapped his fingers against the wooden deck just outside of the Ryudo household.

"Yes it was, although I must say I was surprised to here that Caster actually managed not to burn the water this time," Issei said with a small smile and a chuckle right before a hot pot of tea cracked over his head dousing him in the scalding green liquid. "She must have heard me," Issei mumbled to himself with a frown as he allowed the hot tea to drip from his bangs into his cup.

"Jerk!" Caster squawked as she stormed over to Issei and bonked him on his head.

'Yep, she definitely heard me,' Issei thought to himself as he calmly took a sip of his tea and sighed, 'This is one of the reasons I don't like dealing with women.'

"Wow," Shirou mumbled to himself as he chuckled sheepishly and scratched the nape of his neck. 'Well I guess I should get going,' Shirou thought to himself before his eyes went wide. 'Oh crap! I forgot about the Fuji-nee and Saber!' Shirou thought to himself horrified as his mouth hung agape.

"Is there something wrong Emiya-kun?" Issei inquired as he eyed his friend with a look of concern in his eyes.

"Oh it's nothing, I just forgot about the groceries I picked up today," Shirou replied with a sigh as he stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry to hear that, would you like a ride home?" Issei said as he stood as well.

"I thought your parents just left a little while ago," Shirou said as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Issei said with a sheepish chuckle. Caster and Shirou both face faulted dramatically before they corrected themselves and eyed Issei incredulously.

"What!?" Issei exclaimed as he looked between the pair with confusion etched into her features.

"Nothing," Shirou and Caster responded waving it off as Shirou turned and headed toward the stone steps.

"Well I'll see you later…and Issei," Shirou said turning around with a warm smile gracing his lips.

"Yes?" Issei asked with a small smile of his own.

"No matter what, we'll still be friends so don't hold back," Shirou said giving Issei a thumbs up which the blue haired boy returned in kind.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of anything else. Let's do our best Emiya-kun, and no holding back no matter what," Issei said as he walked toward the red haired young man and firmly gasped his hand. "No regrets," Issei said as he gave Shirou's hand a firm shake and smile warmly at him.

"Right," Shirou responded with a nod as he released Issei's hand and headed toward the stairs.

Watching Shirou head toward the stone steps Caster strode up beside her Master and watched the amber eyed boy start on his descent with concern evident in her eyes. "Is it wise to let him go Master? After all he is competing for the Holy Grail as well, and even if he is your friend ultimately he will be your enemy," Caster stated as she grasped the young man's hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

Issei remained silent for a moment as he mulled the thought over in his head with a thoughtful look on his face. Exhaling a beleaguered sigh he turned to face Caster with a small smile. "To fight him now would be unfair, he doesn't even have his Servant with him. As far as him being my enemy…well I don't want to think about that just yet. In some ways I wouldn't mind being bound to you in death if we don't win…it would make it easier on us," Issei said with a halfhearted chuckle as Caster frowned deeply and opened her mouth to say something. However Issei cut her off by raising his hand.

"I also realize, however, that your wish is to obtain the Grail so that is exactly what we are going to do. When the time comes I will face my Emiya-kun in combat, but until that time he is my best friend and closest ally besides you," Issei said as released Caster's hand and walked toward the stone steps and peered down them into the infinite darkness beyond the large entrance gate.

"You know as a kid I loved the forest at night, even though it was kind of creepy at times," Issei said with a warm smile of fond remembrance on his face after a moment of silence. Another moment of silence followed and Caster began to hesitantly approach her Master. "Caster get into the main building now…they're here," Issei commanded, his voice become dark and hard.

"What!?" Caster exclaimed as her eyes went wide with fright, but before she could ask another question a giant figure donning a long tattered black cloak appeared before her seemingly out of nowhere. Quickly raising its arms into a martial arts stance, which Issei immediately recognized as part of the rare "Snake" style, he shot a fist out at Caster at near light speed.

Caster barely had time to blink before the fist narrowly shot past her face, cutting her cheek slightly, as the figure was slammed into the Shinto shrine. Looking in the direction where the blow had come from Caster saw Issei, his out stretched fist and feet glowing a pale blue, in a stance that she recognized as being a Soobak stance.

"CASTER GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Issei bellowed as he watched the dust settle by the shrine.

"But Master," Caster began to protest as she eyed him with wide eyes.

"NOW!" Issei snapped as he charged the figure, who had begun to stagger up onto its feet. Upon reaching the figure Issei slammed his palm into the assassin's chest sending flying into the debris again and destroying another half of the shrine. 'This can't be good karma,' Issei thought sarcastically as he waited for the smoke to dissipate again.

"Master," Caster whispered in awe as she started to back into the main building. 'Is this power due to our union…no, he has always had this power!' Caster thought to herself as went to a window and watched Issei tap his foot impatiently as he waited for the dust to settle. 'He has become so cold, it's like he's a completely different person,' Caster continued to think to herself.

Suddenly the dust swirled around within the shrine before exploding outward nearly knocking Issei off his feet. "Tch, not bad but there's no way you're going to defeat me!" Issei snapped as he got into a defensive stance and waited for the assassin to strike again. However the assassin simply stood stiff as a board for a moment before it slowly reached down and grabbed the hem of its cloak. Before Issei could even blink the figure yanked the cloak off to reveal a man donning a forest green suit, white dress shirt with traces of dried blood on the collar, and a black tie. His hair was black and cropped short with gangly bangs hanging in the front which seemed to intensify the stern expression on his thin rugged face.

"Ryudo-kun, I must say I'm surprised," the man stated in a cold emotionless voice that chilled Caster to the bone.

"Tch, are you kidding me? Kuzuki-san? What the hell are you doing!?" Issei snapped as he lowered his guard slightly and eyed the older man incredulously.

"I am simply following orders, and doing as my Master dictates," Kuzuki stated as her straightened his tie and got into an offensive stance. "So this is the power of the Ryudo bloodline…the famous clan of demon hunters turned holy men. It is said that at one point the person maybe as harmless as a fly, but once their instincts activate they are become something akin to a mantis. They become another person, however it seems like you haven't reached that point yet. Well Issei-kun, prove to me that the legends are more than just that," Kuzuki deadpanned as he shifted his foot and vanished.

"What the!?" Issei gasped in shock as he whipped his head around trying to determine where the older man had disappeared to. Suddenly he felt a strong breeze whip up on his left side but before he could turn to look he a heard the sound of bones crunching. Then his side went numb for a moment as his eyes widened with horror. After that a pain so indescribable that the closet thing you could compare it to was dieing ten times over ripped through his side.

Issei wanted to cry, he wanted to move, he wanted to do anything. Unfortunately all he could was stand their numbly as a steady stream of drool and blood slid down his chin while his empty blue eyes stared into space. However it was far from over.

Without a hint of hesitation Kuzuki slammed his fist into Issei's back sending him flying into what remained of the shrine. "Pathetic, I had expected so much more," Kuzuki stated with a frown as he calmly strode toward the debris.

"Damn it, I wasn't expecting that," Issei muttered through gritted teeth as he braced himself against a wooden plank and pushed himself to his feet. Wiping away the blood which had started to dry on his cheek he then dusted off his school uniform and smiled menacingly at Kuzuki. "I guess I underestimated you sensei, but I have to know who exactly this Master of yours is. He must be one hell of a guy considering the fact that he was able to augment your strength so much," Issei said as he got into a defensive stance. He grimaced momentarily as a sharp pain shot through his left side, but he promptly ignored it and focused back on Kuzuki.

"It is most unfortunate that you were able to discern my identity, if you hadn't I would have simply eliminated your servant and you could have lived. However, as the rules of the War state once a Servant's identity has been discovered he must fight to the death," Kuzuki deadpanned as he got into an offensive stance and glared at Issei.

"The War? Then that means!" Issei began as his eyes went wide with shock and horror.

"Yes I am a Heroic Spirit," Kuzuki stated before he vanished once again.

"Shit!" Issei cursed as he gritted his teeth and whipped his head around. His body was tense, unlike the fluid state it should have been in, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. 'This isn't good, at this rate he'll kill me,' Issei thought to himself with a frown as he shifted his foot slightly. Suddenly he felt a cool breeze against the back of his neck and he quickly ducked down. Looking up he noticed he barely avoided a punch that would have knocked his head off his shoulders.

However he had no time to rest as Kuzuki tried to bring his foot down on the young man's head. Issei immediately rolled to the right as the foot slammed down onto the ground completely obliterating the concrete under the older man's feet and turning it into dust.

"Not bad Ryudo-san," Kuzuki said as he turned to face the young man who was currently clutching his side and grimacing.

"Bastard," Issei hissed under his breath as he forced himself to stand erect. 'There's no way I can beat this guy, he's just to fast. Not to mention the fact that he could knock my head off with one punch! Damn it all,' Issei thought to himself as he got into a offensive stance.

"You have decided to attack after all it seems," Kuzuki stated as he got himself into a defensive stance. "Well then, let us see what you are capable of."

Kuzuki had not even finished the last of his sentence before Issei charged him. Striking out with a palm thrust Issei watched as Kuzuki nimbly side stepped the attack. However he soon followed up with an elbow thrust aimed at the older man's chest, but that was promptly caught. Grasping Issei's elbow tightly Kuzuki lifted the young man up with minimal effort and whipped him toward the main building which he crashed into and through.

"MASTER!" Caster cried in horror as Issei flew through the window next to her and slid to halt on the wooden floor right by her feet. Quickly crouching down to his side she wiped away the blood from his lips and quickly removed her jacket before folding it and placing it underneath his head for support.

"Damn that bastard hits hard," Issei cursed with a light chuckle as he raised a weary hand up to his face and slowly wiped away the dirt and debris that covered his face and littered his blue hair. Upon wiping the spot underneath his eyes he noticed that his glasses were in fact missing. Quickly patting his face to make sure they were gone he stared blankly at the ceiling above.

'There's no way. I can't see without my glasses…but I can?' Issei thought to himself as he used his left hand, the right having gone numb, to push himself to his feet, 'Well no use in thinking about this right now'. "Hey Caster, do you think you could amplify my strength?" Issei inquired as he brushed some of the dust off of his uniform jacket, which had a diagonal gash in the center of it.

"Yes, but I think I," Caster started with a worried look in her eyes before Issei cut her off.

"There's no way that you could beat this guy. Granted you are a Servant and all, but the fact still remains that close combat is definitely not your forte. Besides this guy doesn't seem to be a normal Servant," Issei said as he heard the older man approach by the sound of his shoes clicking against the stone walkway.

"What do you mean?" Caster asked as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"He was my Ethics teacher as well as a tenant here no too long ago. For him to be a Servant now means something is seriously wrong. While this is largely just an assumption, I think that someone has been manipulating the rules of this War," Issei said as his palms began to glow a dull blue again.

"Fine, but use this. It should dispel whatever enhancements his Master has given him. You should be able to use due to our connection. Meanwhile I'll enhance your physical strength and speed," Caster said as she drew out a strange knife from her jacket pocket. The multicolored blade was cut almost into a lightning bolt shape and seemed to glow with power; however Issei could also feel something dark about the dagger.

"So this is the _Rule Breaker_ you were telling me about. Well let's just hope this works," Issei stated with a frown as he took the blade out of Caster's hand and turned to face the large oak doors that comprised the entrance. Walking over to the side of the door Issei crouched down and waited for Kuzuki to enter. Meanwhile Caster hands began to glow a vibrant purple and Issei felt his right arm grow less numb, although it still slightly ached.

'I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my life,' Issei thought to himself as he clutched the dagger so tightly that his hands went white. Suddenly everything went dead quite and Issei felt his chest tighten in anticipation while he continued to stare at the door. Suddenly, without even the slightest warning, the doors flew off the hinges and slammed somewhere in the back of the main building.

"Ryudo-san, let us finish this," Kuzuki stated with as he stepped through the entrance. Hearing the click of a heel against the wooden floor he whipped his head to his right, but by then it was too late. Sinking the dagger into Kuzuki's chest Issei watched as the man began to twitch while the blade began to dissolve like it had just been dropped in a vat of acid.

"What!?" Issei exclaimed in horror as Kuzuki simply frowned and started down at the small puncture wound in his chest while what remained of the blade dripped down his suit.

"Pathetic," Kuzuki stated as he looked up and stared into Issei's trembling navy blue orbs. Before Issei could even react he slammed his fist into the young man's chest what looked to be one time, but it was actually seven. Issei gasped in pain as he felt he thought had to have been a jackhammer slam into his chest causing him to cough up blood and his eyes to bug out. Within less then a second everything went black for the blue eyed youth. Kuzuki was about to snap the young man's neck before a pair of purple magic blast shot out at him slamming into his chest.

Kuzuki simply coughed in response as he fell to his knees and inspected the two gaping holes in his chest which oozed with blood.

"Burn in hell," Caster whispered in dark tone as she calm strode over to the fallen older man and grasped his head tightly between her hands. Her eyes were soulless and her face held a look of contempt as she began to squeeze his head tightly. Before Kuzuki could even blink Caster's hands began to glow a pale purple and everything went black.

"You never should have touched Issei-kun," Caster whispered darkly as a dark crimson liquid dripped down her pale hands. Before her Kuzuki's headless body began to dissipate and turn into sparkling dust. Gazing down the pile of dust that lay at her feet Caster scoffed before turning her attention toward the fallen blue eyed young man.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"NO! I FORGOT MY WALLET!" Shirou cried out as he stopped dead in his tracks right before he turned onto the bend that led away from Ryudoji temple. "Of all the luck," Shirou grumbled to himself as he turned his bike around and began to pedal back toward the temple steps.

"I wonder where I could have left it. Maybe it's near the house, or possibly the shrine."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Master?" Caster inquired weakly as she gently grasped his head and laid it in her lap while she gently ran a hand through his hair. She waited patiently for a reply but after more then a minute she began to worry. "Master?" Caster asked, this time more forcefully, as tears started to form in the corner of her sky blue eyes. Still no response from the young man. "Issei-kun!?" the silver haired woman asked, panic and worry evident in her voice and eyes. Caster felt herself begin to tremble uncontrollably and tears spill down her snow white cheeks as she pulled the young man even closer to her body.

As she held her Master close Caster failed to notice that his face had begun to turn blue.

"GAH!" Issei cried out as he shot up out of Caster's lap gasping for breath. "-Cough- What happened –cough, cough-!?" Issei exclaimed and grimaced as he felt a sharp pain shoot through his side again.

"Issei," Caster whispered with relief evident in her voice before she turned the young man around and placed a feather light kiss on his lips. "Nothing you need to worry about Master, it's over no…" Caster said before she was cut off by a small black dagger grazing her cheek. Her eyes went wide with horror and she sat stiff as a board feeling a cool breeze whip against the nape of her neck.

"Caster!" Issei exclaimed as he pushed the silver haired Servant out of the way as even more daggers shot through the building. "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy," Issei said as he slowly rose to his feet while cluthing his aching stomach and side. 'I guess I can't hold back anymore…I have to do this for her. I guess I'm just going to have to hope that nothing happens,' Issei thought to himself with a frown as his fist began to glow an even more vibrant blue and the aura began to form into vapors which rose threateningly from his hands.

"Caster enhance my abilities again," Issei demanded as he headed out of the building, the moonlight illuminating the blood that currently soaked his forehead and chin.

"Master you can't!" Caster cried in horror as she watched Issei shamble out of the building and toward the center of the temple.

"Do it," was all Issei said as he slowly released his aching side and got into a defensive stance. 'I can't lose myself completely, but maybe if I focus more of my ki into my extremities I'll be able to match them,' Issei thought to himself as he gazed around the property trying to discern where the Servant could possibly be. Suddenly several daggers shot out of a nearby tree at a blinding speed that Issei barely detected. Just before the daggers struck his vital spots Issei quickly rolled out of the way and turned to face the large tree.

"You'll have to do better then that!" he snapped as he rose to his feet and got into a defensive stance again. As if on cue the giant Servant, cloaked in a tattered black cloak much like the others, leapt out of the tree and landed soundlessly on the ground.

"Let's go then," Issei said as prepared for the Servant to attack. The hulking form did not disappoint either as he sprinted toward Issei at an impossible speed. 'Who the heck is their Master!?' Issei thought to himself with a look of horror in his eyes as he narrowly avoided a large black foot connected to a skinny long black leg, which sailed over his head. Using this moment to strike back Issei slammed a fist into the figures abdomen raising him off the ground several feet in the process.

However, that was not enough to debilitate the Servant or even phase it as it fished out another dagger and whipped it at Issei's face. Issei narrowly avoided the blade and it grazed his cheek leaving a thin red line on his cheek which began to ooze with blood.

'Damn it,' Issei internally cursed as he leapt back and faced the Servant again. Unfortunately for Issei the Servant didn't need any time to recover and quickly launched itself at him again. The blue eyed boy's eyes widened in horror as the Servant lashed out with a successive wave of punches that slammed into his chest.

Coughing up blood Issei forced himself to remain on his feet as he quickly recovered lashed out with a furious wave of punches and kicks which the cloaked figure could barely dodge. 'All I need is one good hit,' Issei thought to himself as he continued to launch his seemingly endless barrage of strikes. However, upon lashing out with his fist one last time he overextended himself leaving his aching side open.

The Servant took no time exploiting this opening as he whipped out a dagger and jammed it into Issei's side. Issei coughed up blood again, drenching the stones at his feet, and only faltered slightly as he struggled to remain up right. Even so his vision was getting blurry and his legs felt as though they could give way at any time. 'Sorry Caster…but it doesn't seem like I can win this one,' Issei thought ruefully as he coughed up a little more blood and sank to his knees.

Sensing that his opponent had run out of stamina the cloaked Servant flipped the dagger in hand as prepared to deliver the finishing blow. That was before it leapt to its left narrowly avoiding the magic blast that shot past it.

"Why are men so damn stubborn," Caster hissed as ran to Issei's side and braced him against her shoulder. 'Even though I know I can't defeat him, I wont let him hurt Issei more then he already has!' Caster thought to herself as she gently laid the bleeding young man down and ripped off the midsection of her shirt exposing her taught stomach. She then made a make shift bandage out of it and covered up Issei's wound. 'Hopefully he'll start to regenerate soon,' Caster thought as she cast one last worried glance toward the blue hair Master and then turned her full attention toward the hulking Servant that stood before her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What was that noise?" Shirou thought out loud as he started to climb the steps toward the temple. After waiting a moment to see if he would hear it again he simply shrugged and continued his trek up toward the temple with his hands in his pockets. However, just as he reached the mid-point between the temple and the road he saw several giant purple blast shot down out of a glowing multicolored cloak.

'A Servant!? Maybe it's Caster, but then who is she fighting?" Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he took his hands out of his pockets and started to dash up toward the temple. 'I've got to hurry, they might be in trouble,' Shirou thought to himself as he bounded up the steps beads of sweat starting to form on his brow. Meanwhile the figure fell from the sky and down toward the ground. The next thing Shirou saw were several explosions followed by a cloud of dust and smoke.

Upon reaching the entrance gate Shirou burst through the doors and gazed upon the scene with horror in his eyes. Off to the side, near the remains of the Shinto shrine, Issei laid unconscious with dried blood masking his face and a small stream of blood leaking out of what looked to be a make shift bandage. "ISSEI!" Shirou exclaimed as he began to rush toward the young man's side, however he soon saw the cause of the various explosions and stopped dead in his tracks.

Before him stood a figure donning a tattered black cloak which was covered in dust and soot, and Caster who was currently bleeding from various cuts on her face and blood oozing out the corner of her frowning mouth. Her pale face was even paler then usual and her Servant garb was almost nothing more then pieces of fabric hanging off her body. Her hair was matted down to her face due to blood that seemed to be oozing from the top of her head turning her silver locks a cross between pink and light red, and she was clutching her side with a gloved hand which as a dark liquid seeping through her slender fingers.

"Caster?" Shirou questioned a bit too loudly causing the cloaked figure to whip around and face him. "What the?" Shirou questioned as he observed a glistening white skull mask strapped to the figures face. 'What kind of Servant is that!?' Shirou thought to himself with wide eyes as he began to back away slowly. However, just as Shirou started to back up the Servant leapt at him, daggers drawn and preparing to strike.

Shirou quickly rolled to the side and dashed toward the main building of the temple as fast as his legs could carry him as he heard a loud explosion behind him and dust and debris whip up everywhere. 'I've got to find a weapon,' Shirou thought to himself as he ran through the open entrance and frantically searched for something. 'Let's see, Buddha statue, another Buddha statue, some incents…damn it! Don't they have any weapons around here!?' Shirou thought to himself in frustration as he reached out for a large wooden pole. "This will just have to do I guess," Shirou said to himself as a floorboard creaked behind him.

Immediately whipping his head around Shirou came to face to face with the skull mask wearing Servant who simply stood in the entrance way daggers in hand. "Okay," Shirou said with a confident smirk, "let's go." However just as he said the daggers in the figures hand seemed to vanish but Shirou was able to catch the glint of one of the knives in the moonlight as they sailed toward him at a blinding speed. Quickly jumping out of the way he narrowly avoided the daggers as he focused on the pole in his hands while closing his eyes.

'Trace on!' Shirou thought to himself as the two magic circuits lit up within him. 'Basic composition defined, augment!' he continued to think to himself as the wooden pole in his hand transformed into metal. "OK!" Shirou said to himself as he opened his eyes with a confident smirk as he turned to face the Servant.

The masked Servant wasted no time in trying to cut the smirk of Shirou's face as he flung several daggers at the red head and disappeared. Shirou narrowly avoided the daggers which ripped through his shirt and jeans. 'Impossible!' Shirou's mind rang as he felt a cool breeze against his back and then a sharp pain followed by a force so powerful that it sent him flying through one of the windows back out toward Ryudoji entrance gate. Shirou skid to a painful stop and moaned in pain as he slowly raised his head, dirt and dust all over his face.

'What the heck is this guy?' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he used the metal pole to push himself back onto his feet. Unfortunately no sooner had he risen to his feet then the cloaked figure launched another wave of daggers at him. Immediately spinning the pole in a windmill fashion Shirou managed to block four of the seven daggers while the other three nicked his arms. The Servant looked unfazed by this display as Shirou changed into an offensive stance before charging the cloaked figure.

Shirou swung wildly in a vain attempt to hit the nimble Servant who simply sidestepped, ducked, or leapt over the pole. 'Damn it,' Shirou internally cursed as he lunged out at the Servant who simply side stepped again and brought an elbow down on Shirou's back sending him plummeting toward the ground with a loud thud causing the stone the break and shatter.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone else, Ryudo Issei was stirring from his deep, immense pain induced, slumber. However upon opening his eyes anyone could have clear seen that the young man before them was not Issei as a pair of canary yellow eyes outline in red fluttered open. Further, those eyes seemed to have pupils akin to a cat's night vision.

Blinking a few times "Issei" got to his feet with little to no trouble and calmly brushed of his uniform. After running a hand through his hair and wiping away some of the dried blood on his face he turned his attention toward the battle that was currently taking place. Shirou was currently being trounced by the cloaked figure that would seemingly disappear every time the red head would lash out with some kind of counter attack only to reappear and smash the young Master down into the ground. Needless to say Shirou didn't look like he could go on too much longer and his shaky knees were proof of that as he used his pole to stand erect.

"This has gone on long enough," "Issei" stated with an exasperated sigh as he started to calmly stride over toward the pair. Before he could get there however he heard a faint cough from behind him. Whipping his head around he saw Caster splayed out on the ground nearly unconscious with steady stream of blood running down pale face. "Caster!" "Issei" gasped much to his own confusion as his legs moved on their own accord toward the fallen Servant. 'I see, so I have feelings for this woman…this could be troublesome,' Issei thought to himself with a frown as he felt himself kneel down and inspect the young woman.

"Master," she responded weakly as "Issei" took off his uniform jacket, revealing the black tee-shirt he had been wearing, and laid it over her.

"Shhh, just rest. This will be over before you know it," "Issei" said with a smile evident in his voice.

"But," Caster began to protest weakly before "Issei" placed his index finger on her lips silencing her.

"Rest," was all he said as he stood up and began his trek toward Shirou who was currently bracing himself against a tree for support. 'Well then, it's time for me to have some fun,' "Issei" thought to himself as his hands began to glow blood red and the vapor like aura extended upward toward the starry sky.

Meanwhile Shirou was currently stumbling away from the figures onslaught on daggers, kicks, and punches. 'This doesn't look good,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he stumbled out of the way of a punch that went through the main wall. Forcing himself to stay on his feet Shirou quickly whipped around to face the skull masked figure. This proved to be a very bad idea as another set of daggers shot out at him. 'I can't dodge them at this range!' Shirou thought to himself as his heart sank and his eyes went wide.

Putting up his arms in vain attempt to shield his face he soon felt the blades of knives tear through his arms. One even managed to get through his arms and slice the area between his eyes and the upper part of his nose.

"GAAAAHHH!" Shriou cried out in pain as blood oozed out off the cut and down his face.

"Well that's going to leave a nasty mark," an unusually cold but familiar voice stated from behind Shirou causing him to turn around.

"Issei!? Get back, this thing is way out of our league!" Shirou snapped, but Issei simply chuckled and brushed past him, hands in pockets.

"You worry too much Emiya-kun…this is nothing," "Issei" stated as he walked right up to the Servant who had actually begun to tremble for some reason. "So you can sense it huh? I should have known a spirit would," "Issei" stated with a smirk as he took one glowing hand out of his pocket. "Well then, where were we?" he asked with a thoughtful expression on his face as he stroked his chin pensively.

"Oh yes, I was just about to send you back to hell."

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: Okay this chapter got a little weird, I know. But hey this is a fan fiction, and an original work so try not to be too upset. Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable and don't worry, the conclusion to this epic battle will be coming up next! There will also be a little surprise as well.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything affiliated with it.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 10: Battle at Ryudoji: Part 2!**

Issei and the cloaked figure stood at a stand still simply staring back at one another for a moment. Suddenly the giant Servant ripped off his cloak revealing his entire form. He had long skinny limbs, skin as black as tar, and with almost nothing more than a long tattered black cloth and black skin tight pants covering his thin muscular frame. His right arms was wrapped in a black cloth which gave it an illusionary bulk. His head was shaved and one could see a small part of his thin face underneath his glistening white skull mask.

"Wow, and I thought I was ugly," "Issei" stated with a smirk as the figure drew out several daggers. "You might as well put those away, there's no way someone who's as weak as you is going to beat me," "Issei" said as he waved a hand dismissively and got into a fighting stance. "Well then, let's go."

Just as "Issei" muttered those words the figure vanished. "Figures, damn assassins never can stand and fight," "Issei" muttered to himself as he frowned deeply and kicked some pebbles at his feet. "Oh well, nothing else to do but wait," he said as he began to whistle an odd tune.

Meanwhile Shirou was simply watching, slack jawed, wondering how his friend could possibly be standing right now. Granted he was no longer bleeding, but his wounds had looked pretty serious before. 'What the heck is going on?' Shirou thought to himself, confusion evident in his amber eyes.

"Issei" continued to whistle the tune until he felt a breeze whip against the back of his neck. Spinning on his heels he turned around just in time to catch the set of daggers in his hands. "Like I said, it's pointless," Issei muttered as he dropped the daggers and let them clatter noisily on the broken stone pathway at his feet.

Gazing up toward the tree next to the entrance gate where the daggers had come from "Issei" simply glared at the Assassin who sat nestled in the back. "Come on, he'll be waking at any time now and I want to get this over with," Issei said in a tired tone as he began to tap a foot impatiently.

The Assassin didn't seem to take too kindly to these harsh words as a red aura began to grow around him.

"Delusional Heart Beat!? Gimme a break already!" "Issei" cried out in frustration as he slapped his head with the palm of his hand. "Okay this ends now!" "Issei" bellowed as he leapt to attack the Servant. However, before he could attack he was quickly intercepted by a shadow like figure which forced him to dive out of its path.

"Damn it! What the hell is that!?" "Issei" snapped as he landed on his feet and glared at the apparition that stood in his way. However before he could regain his bearings the shadow struck out again preparing to engulf the blue haired young man. 'Shit!' he internally cursed due to the fact that he knew he wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time.

Preparing himself for the evitable simply relaxed his stance and sighed. 'Well that was short,' he thought to himself before he felt himself forcefully flung off to the side. Quickly whipping his head up to see who could have possibly been stupid enough to push him out of the way and endanger themselves he saw Shirou give him his patented confident smile just before the shadow devoured him.

"FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" "Issei" bellowed as he watched the scene with a look of horror plastered on his face. 'Fool,' "Issei" thought to himself with a frown as he got to his feet and glared at the shadow who seemed to having a difficult time devouring Shirou.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What is this!?" Shirou cried out in horror as several seemingly undead hands grasped his limbs tightly trying to draw him into the endless darkness. "Let go!" Shirou snapped as he tried to wrench him limbs out of their vice-grip but to no avail.

'Is this how it ends?' Shirou thought to himself as a look of horror found its way onto his features. He could feel the darkness burrowing into his very soul and noticed that his skin had become noticeably darker, almost tanned. "It can't end like this! I have to protect everyone!" Shirou snapped as he redoubled his efforts and once again tried to pry himself out of the darkness.

"I need to focus. I need magic and tracing is going to have to work," Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he closed his eyes. "Trace on," he muttered as several magic circuits lit up within him. 'Focus on getting out of here. You have to focus,' Shirou thought to himself as a strange image started to form in his mind. Within his mind's eye he could faintly make out the faint image of a strange sword. The blade was completely black with a white out line, and the hilt was blood red and silver.

"I won't die!" Shirou bellowed as a brilliant white light shot out of his chest and engulfed the darkness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What the!?" "Issei" exclaimed a small white light shot out of the darkness. Suddenly several beams of light shot out of the void before it finally exploded, temporarily blinding "Issei".

"What the hell!?" "Issei" exclaimed in shock as he tried to blink the spots out of his eyes. Upon regaining some of his vision he strained to see a young man with short cropped white hair and tan skin standing with a strange blade in his hands. The blade was long and wide, similar to a zanbato, and completely black aside from the outline of white. The hilt of the blade was silver with strange blood red symbols running down the width of it.

"That sword! It can't be!" "Issei" exclaimed as he started to back away in horror. 'No mortal should even have that blade in their possession, let alone be able to wield it. Who is he really?' "Issei" thought to himself, eyes wide and mouth agape. "However, if that is the sword then that means that she really is dead. But how? With that sword she was almost immortal."

"Ugh," Shirou moaned as his eyes fluttered open. Blinking a few times and finally gaining his bearings he looked around for any hint of the shadow. 'What just happened?' he began to think to himself with a frown before he spotted a set of daggers out the corner of his eye. Acting on reflex he raised his arms to shield his face and consequently raised the giant blade in front effectively deflecting the daggers.

"What the?" Shirou thought to himself as he gazed at the giant sword in his hands. 'This looks exactly like the sword from when…did this save me?' Shirou thought to himself as he heard several more daggers bounce off the blade and clatter onto the ground. "Well then, lets see what it can do," Shirou thought to himself with a smirk as he lowered the sword and prepared to face off against the Assassin.

Assassin did not disappoint either, as he launched another wave of daggers and disappeared once again. Shirou easily deflected the daggers and upon feeling a breeze whip against the back of his neck quickly whipped around swing his sword. Assassin easily blocked the blade with one of his daggers, but Shirou simply smirked in response as he head butted the Servant. The Servant seemed to stagger momentarily but quickly composed itself as it drew out yet another dagger and aimed it at Shirou's chest. Quickly jumping back Shirou guarded with his blade once again and deflected the dagger just in time.

Meanwhile "Issei", not being one to be left out of a fight, tackled Assassin onto the ground. With glowing fist he began to beat down on the Assassin, striking its head and cracking its mask. Continuing with his vicious assault he watched in amusement as the mask began to crack and shatter due to the force of his blows. Soon he was beating away at a black skeletal face with little to no mercy.

"This is the end!" he snapped as his cocked his fist back one last time and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. However, before he could do so he was forced to evade an arrow aimed at his heart from behind. Quickly rolling away he whipped his head up to see another figure donning a tattered black cloak and behind it a hunched over old man who looked to be over 100 years old.

"Well I'd say that's more then enough for one day," the old man commented with a dry chuckle as he tapped his cane against the ground. The beaten Assassin quickly rose to his feet and appeared at the man's side in less then a second. "Well it seems as though I've failed in my mission, but I suppose it was inevitable," the old man commented as he turned to leave.

"Just where do you think you're going!?" "Issei" snapped as he got to his feet and glared at the old man.

"Careful boy, you wouldn't want me exposing any family secrets with your friend around," the old man warned tauntingly as he the two Servants at his side descended the steps.

"What?" "Issei" questioned but either the man couldn't hear him or was pointedly ignoring him. "Whatever, I'm tired of this anyway," "Issei mumbled as he turned toward the main building and prepared to head inside. Before he could even make it half way his vision began to blur and he felt his limbs start to grow weak. 'Damn, of all the times for him to want to wake up,' "Issei" thought to himself with a frown. Within less then a second he passed out on the broken stone pathway.

"Issei!" Shirou yelled as he quickly rushed over to his fallen friend. Bending down his checked his friends pulse and sighed in relief. "Good, he's still alive," Shirou said to himself with a small smile as he felt the weight in his hand grow incredibly lighter. Gazing down at his right hand his eyes went wide as he observed the sword begin to dissipate and flow into his arm. 'What the!?' Shirou thought to himself slightly bewildered.

It was also at that time that he noticed his skin was still the tanned color it was when he was caught in the void of darkness. Gazing at his arm in disbelief he quickly ran over to a nearby koi pond to check his reflection. It was only then that he noticed that his hair had gone stark white and there was a scar forming on his face. "AHHHH!" Shirou cried out in horror as he stumbled away from the pond with a look of pure horror on his face. 'What happened to me!?' he thought to himself as he pinched his arm trying in vain to make everything a bad dream.

"Please let this be a dream, please let this be a dream," Shirou continued to mutter to himself as he continued to pinch his arm to the point that it start to go red and stung. 'Damn it, it's not a dream,' Shirou thought to himself as he went back to the pond and gazed down at his reflection again. "Things could not get any worse," he said to himself with a frown as he strode back over toward Caster and Issei.

After taking several deep breaths to calm himself he hefted Issei and Caster into their respective rooms (one at a time of course) and set them in their futons. Collecting his wallet, which had left on the porch, he headed toward the front of the temple. After inspecting the remains of Ryudoji temple Shirou simply sighed and shook his head as he turned to toward the steps and started on his descent toward his bike.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm home," Shirou called out tiredly as he entered through the front door and kicked off his now well worn tennis shoes.

"SHIROU!" familiar voice bellowed as what sounded to be an earthquake grew near.

'This isn't going to end well,' Shirou thought to himself with a sheepish chuckle.

"WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU!?" Taiga snapped as she stomped up to the young man and poked his chest vehemently. There was real fire visible in her once light brown eyes and Shirou felt his knees go weak under her gaze. However, just as soon as she started she stopped and the flames in her eyes dissipated into nothing but embers.

"Shirou what happened to you!?" Taiga cried out in horror as she gazed upon the young man's skin, hair, and the scar on his face.

"I was getting a killer tan?" Shirou offered wearily by way of a response as he began to chuckle nervously.

"BAKA!" Taiga snapped as she bonked him on the head with her fist. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that!?" she cried out incredulously as she dragged him toward the bathroom.

"Fuji-nee is not that big a," Shirou started before he came face to face with the one person he didn't want to have to see for awhile. At least until she cooled down that was.

"Shirou what happened?" Saber inquired sternly as she folded her arms over her chest and frowned deeply at the young man.

"That's what I would like to know!" Taiga snapped as she glared back at Shirou who simply continued to chuckle nervously in response.

"Fujimura-san forgive me, but I would like to speak with Shirou alone," Saber stated sternly as she glared at the amber eyed young man who gulped audibly in response.

"SABER-CHAN!? HOW CAN YOU BE SO COLD!? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS NOW!?" Taiga cried out pathetically as comically tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Of course we are Fujimura-san, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would allow me to speak with Shirou alone," Saber responded with a tired sigh and a small smile.

"Oh, alright," Taiga grumbled in a defeated tone as she released Shirou and sulked away. "I guess I'll go home now, see you later," Taiga mumbled as she headed toward the front door and slipped her shoes on.

Saber waited until after the older woman left to fix Shirou with an icy glare again. "Now that we are alone I would like you to explain everything to me," Saber demanded as she grasped Shirou's hand, with a small blush on her cheeks, and dragged him toward the bath room. After addressing his wounds she then dragged him toward the dining room. Upon forcing him to sit at the table she continued to stare at him incredulously.

"Well, um, you two seem to have become awfully close," Shirou commented as he tried to avoid the subject. Taking a look around the room he noticed several takeout containers in the garbage and assumed that's what they had to eat during his long absence.

"Yes we have, I suppose. However that is beside the point. Now please answer the question Master," Saber all but begged as she waited expectantly for a response.

Sighing deeply Shirou began to tell Saber the events that had transpired, however he conveniently left out the part about the sword and replaced it with the metal pole he had been using. When Shirou finished Saber was simply sitting with her hands balled up into fist and lying in her lap.

Still glaring at Shriou she looked as thought she didn't know whether to strangle him on just leave the room. "Why did you not summon me?" Saber inquired with tension evident in her voice.

Sensing the discomfort in Saber's voice Shirou moved to comfort her but she simply drew away from him.

"Why did you not summon me?" she asked again, not even bothering to look at him anymore as her blond bangs concealed here face from view.

Shirou simply sighed as he sat back down and stared at his darkened skin. "I didn't summon you because I didn't want you to get hurt," Shirou stated as he stood up and headed toward the door.

Saber's head snapped up upon hearing this and she glared at Shirou. "Master it is inevitable that I will be hurt. It is my duty to act as your sword, you must allow me to do so!" Saber exclaimed as the once red haired now white haired young man turned to face her with a small smile.

"I'll protect you Saber, whether you like it or not. I'll protect everyone who means something to me. If you want me to summon you fine, but don't expect that I'll just sit on the sidelines," Shirou stated as he noticed the pink tinge on Saber's cheeks.

"So be it," Saber muttered as she stood up as well and walked toward the door. "If that's the case then you will allow me to train you in the ways of the sword," Saber stated as she fixed a stern glare on Shirou who simply sighed and nodded in response. "Very well, we will begin tomorrow morning if you injuries permit. I suggest that you be well rested for I will not go easy on you," Saber stated as she brushed past him and headed toward her room.

"Well that went better then expected," Shirou said to himself sarcastically as he headed toward the bathroom and prepared to go to bed. 'Something tells me things are going to get worse before they get better.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"OW!" a shrill feminine voice cried out from within the Tohsaka household shattering the peace and quite of midmorning. Within the confines of her room Rin sat in her bed gently cupping her bandaged cheek. She was currently donning her canary yellow night and several bandages on her arms and legs while Archer was still wearing her battle armor sans cloak. Archer was also currently holding a tray with only partially eaten fold and a cup of tea.

"Baka! This is all your fault," Rin moaned pathetically as her Servant simply quivered in fear.

"Sorry?" Archer offered with a sheepish smile but Rin simply scoffed in response.

"Whatever, I guess I just wont be able to eat for awhile," Rin muttered to herself with a frown as she took a slowly sip of her tea and sighed.

"What a minute!" Archer exclaimed as her eyes went wide and a grin found it's way onto her lips. "I think I have something that will speed up the healing process," Archer stated as she fished a white pill out of her pocket. "I think I was saving this for a special occasion or something but now is as good a time as any. This pill should have you feeling better in no time," Archer said as she handed the pill to Rin who eyed her skeptically.

"What is this?" Rin asked as she eyed the pill in her palm.

"Medeor Celeris, or commonly known as speedy recovery pill," Archer said with a small smile.

"Alright," Rin said with a shrug of her shoulders as she placed the pill in her mouth and downed it with some of her tea.

"Now all you have to do is sleep for about four hours and you should be as good as new," Archer said as Rin finished the last of her tea. Collecting the cup Archer turned and headed out of the room in order to let her Master get some much needed rest.

"Well I guess I'll go out and get a bite to eat," Archer muttered to herself as she strode toward the bathroom and prepared to go out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"OW!" a familiar male voice cried out in pain from within a familiar dojo.

"Shirou you must concentrate," Saber, currently donning her common clothing, sternly reprimanded as she bonked the young man on his head again with her bamboo shinai.

"Ouch," Shirou muttered, currently donning a tee-shirt and jeans, as he raised his own shinai again and faced off against Saber. "Don't you," Shirou began as he lunged at Saber who simply sidestepped, "think I'm trying?" Gasping for breath he turned to face Saber again.

"Rest," Saber said as she started to lower her shinai, but Shirou simply shook his head in response. Sighing tiredly Saber simply flicked her wrist and knocked the bamboo practice sword out of Shirou's hands. "Rest," she demanded again as she playfully bonked Shirou on the head again.

Grumbling to himself, Shirou simply laid himself out on the floor and took in several deep and ragged breaths. 'I guess I am kind of tired,' he thought to himself as closed his eyes and felt the sweat on his back seep into his shirt. 'I'm probably going to need a bath after this,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he shook of his drowsiness and rose to his feet again collecting his shinai as he stood up. "Alright, I'm going to get one hit in," he stated as he raised the bamboo sword and prepared to strike out again.

Saber simply nodded in response and they went back to training. The next hour was full of pained moans and a few shrill cries. By the end of it however Shirou had not managed to land one hit and he was dripping with sweat. Saber on the other hand was not even breathing heavily.

"We are done for today," she stated as she walked over to the rack and placed her practice sword in its container. Shirou, upon catching his breath, did the same and proceeded to head toward the bathroom. After taking a nice, long, steamy bath he got dressed in another identical shirt and pair of jeans before he headed toward the kitchen.

Upon opening the refrigerator he soon realized that he still needed to go grocery shopping after yesterday's debacle. 'Well that's just great, now what am I going to eat,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he closed the fridge and walked into the dinning room. "I guess I'll just have to go out to eat," Shirou said to himself with a shrug as he headed toward Saber's room.

He was about to simply slide the door open, but after yesterday's bathroom incident he decided it would be best to knock. "Saber?" he called out as he rapped a hand against the paper door. Suddenly the door snapped open causing Shirou to jump back in shock. "GAH!" Shirou cried out as he clutched his chest and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Is there a problem Master?" Saber inquired as she eyed the white haired boy with a look of puzzlement in her eyes.

Composing himself Shirou simply shook his head and smiled. "I was just about to head out to get something to eat, and I was wondering if you would like to coming with me," Shirou asked as a pink tinge found it's way onto his tan cheeks. 'This kinda sounds like I'm asking her out on a date,' Shirou thought to himself with a small smile.

"Considering the fact that you did not bring home anything to eat, that would be satisfactory," Saber stated as she watched Shirou dramatically face fault.

"Fair enough," Shirou muttered upon recovering as he scratched the nape of his neck nervously. "Well let's get going then," he said as he and Saber walked toward the front door.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you," Archer said as her server brought out her meal. Currently donning a red and green plaid skirt with a white blouse and black stockings she looked every bit her age or younger. The ponytail she was wearing didn't help matters much either, but she had only gotten dressed to get something to eat.

'You've got to love diners,' Archer thought to herself as she looked around the old 60's style American diner. For some reason she loved the silver stools with red padding, and the booths of similar design. 'Feels kind of like a time warp,' Archer thought to herself with a small smile as she dug into her Western style breakfast of Pancakes and eggs.

As she continued to devour her meal she heard the door ringing and looked up to see who had just entered. Much to her amusement it was the blond haired Saber she had meet a couple of days ago. "Well, well, isn't this a surprise," Archer muttered to her self with a smirk as she took a sip of her orange juice. However she almost spit up her orange juice when a certain white haired slightly bronze skinned young man walked through the front door as well. Dozens of memories flashed through her head at once, mostly bits and pieces but enough for her to remember one thing in particular.

'PAPA!?'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I hear this place has a pretty good Western style breakfast, and I thought you might like to try it out," Shirou said as he turned toward Saber with a small smile as they walked toward an open booth.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Saber stated as they took seat in a corner booth toward the back of the diner opposite the side with the bathroom.

"Well let's see what they have," Shirou said as he picked up a menu. As he glanced over it he soon found a shadow blocking his light. 'What the?' he thought to himself with a frown as he looked up toward Saber who was frowning at someone to the side of them. "What is she?" he started to think to himself as he turned around.

At first all he saw was a mid-length plaid skirt but upon looking up he came face to face with a sobbing Archer. "ARCHER!" Shirou exclaimed in shock as his eyes went wide.

"PAPA!" Archer cried out joyously as she dove into the booth and tackled the white haired young man who simply went numb in response.

'Did she just call me papa?' Shirou thought to himself as he glanced over at Saber who simply stared wide eyed and slack jawed. 'Yep she definitely just called me papa,' Shirou thought to himself numbly as he felt the red head's tears soak through the fabric of his shirt.

'This just got really weird.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Forgive me sir, but I was not able to complete the task you assigned," a familiar old man stated as sat in a maroon colored leather chair in front of a computer in a giant old study room, which could have passed as a library. Surrounded by an almost endless set of oak wood book cases full of all kinds of books, and a blood red carpet at his feet the old man looked quite demonic as he gazed at a completely black window on his computer screen.

"Did he have the sword?" a distorted voice asked through the speaker connected to the computer.

"Yes he did," the old man stated with puzzlement evident in his voice and on his face. "However, what does that have to do with anything?" he asked as the voice on the other end began to chuckle.

"It means that you have actually succeeded," the warped voice stated darkly. "I will arrive in a couple of days; when I do get there I would appreciate it if you would have captured both of the other targets," the voice said.

"Of course, Kotomine is working on it as we speak," the old man stated.

"Good, it seems he will play out his role just fine. However, Zouken I would like for you to use her power to obtain the one," the voice stated.

"Of course sir, as you wish," Zouken stated with an evil smile.

"Very well, I'll leave the rest to you all. Don't forget to take care of the other Servants," the voice said before the window closed.

"Well then it seems the power of the Grail is within our grasp," Zouken muttered to himself as two cloaked figures appeared at his side.

"Let's begin."

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: That's right, for those of you who didn't already know, Archer/Midori is actually Midori Emiya. Yes that means that the guy in the future is actually Shirou (once again for those of you who didn't already know). What kind of craziness will ensue from this point on? You'll just have to wait and see!**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay night or anything associated with it.

**The Eternal Grail: Season 1**

**Episode 11: Revelations**

'This is a little bizarre,' Shirou thought to himself with a frown as he stole a glance at Archer out the corner of his eye. Said young woman was currently woofing down her breakfast at a rate that was anything but humanly possible. 'She says she's my daughter, but how am I supposed to believe that? Granted a lot of weird things have been happening, but even so this is completely ridiculous,' Shirou continued to think to himself as he looked toward Saber, who was currently eyeing the emerald eyed young woman with a look of disdain.

'Well at least I know they'll get along,' Shirou thought to himself sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Papa, aren't you going to eat?" Archer asked as she looked up from her empty plate and toward the amber eyed boy who was still lost in thought. "Papa?" Archer called out again successfully snapping Shirou out of his daze.

"Huh?" Shirou replied intelligently as he cocked an eyebrow and stared at Archer.

"Aren't you going to eat papa?" Archer asked again as she began to toy with a set of chopsticks.

"Umm, yeah…Hey Archer I have a question," Shirou said as he took a sip of his tea.

"Yes? What is it?" Archer replied with a small smile.

'It's amazing, first she's trying to kill me and now she's acting, well, normal,' Shirou thought to himself as he proceeded to ask his question. "Archer, how do you know that I'm your father? I thought Heroic Spirits came from the past, so how could you possibly be my daughter?" he inquired as Archer began to giggle cutely.

"Wow oyaji, you really are as naïve as you said you were. It seems no one told you, but Heroic Spirits can come from the future as well you know," Archer replied as she continued to toy with her chopsticks.

'They can come from the future!?' Shirou thought to himself as his eyes widened to the point his eyeballs almost popped out his head. 'That means she really could be my daughter…but if she's here that means that she's dead! What kind of father was I!?' Shirou thought to himself as he stared blankly down at his breakfast.

"Is there something wrong Shirou," Saber inquired gruffly from her side of the table as she glared at Archer deeming her the source of Shirou's troubles.

"Ye…no, never mind," Shirou stated as he shook his head and reached in his pockets before pulling out his black leather wallet. "We should get going, and I'm sure Rin is worried about you Archer," Shirou said as he placed a few yen on the table and stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Archer exclaimed as she stared at Shirou with pleading eyes. "Can't I go with you?" she all but pleaded as she rose from the table and looked Shirou dead in his amber eyes.

Shirou stared blankly at her for a moment before shaking his head a sighing. "Look, I know you say that you're my daughter but I just can't believe that. I would have to have some proof of some sort before I could believe that," Shirou said as empathetically as he could.

Archer simply stared at Shirou, her mouth a gape, before she scowled at him and turned back to face the table. "You want proof huh? Well how about this?" Archer snapped as she grabbed a knife of the table and yanked on a few strands of hair before severing them. She then forced the flaming red strands in Shirou's hands before gazing at him with eyes full of hurt and disbelief.

"If you want proof then go get a DNA test, I'm sure that there will be plenty of complications but you should still get the desired results," Archer snapped as she stormed past him and out of the establishment.

"What…just happened?" Shirou mumbled to himself as he gazed down at the silky strands lying in his hand.

"Shirou we should go," Saber suggested as she rose from the table and walked up beside him.

Shirou stared blankly at the strands for a moment, undergoing a mental debate with himself. "You're right, let's go," Shirou said with a small frown as he clenched his hand shut and headed out the door.

"Shirou?" Saber questioned as she cocked an eyebrow and followed the young man out of the restaurant and down the crowded streets. "Forgive me Master, but where are we going? I thought that your home was the other way?" Saber questioned as the pair weaved through men and women heading out for their lunch breaks.

"We will, but first…I just want to make sure," Shirou stated as he narrowly avoided bumping into a man donning an expensive business suit. After walking a few more blocks the pair arrived at a large white skyscraper and Shirou promptly entered through the revolving door with a puzzled Saber in toe.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Emiya-san?" a young woman donning a white lab coat, white dress shirt, and navy blue skirt inquired as she stepped through a swinging door.

"Yes that's me," Shirou immediately responded as he shot out of his seat and onto the star patterned navy blue carpet.

"We have the test results, although I must say some of our findings were rather bizarre," the woman stated as she brushed a few strands of her shoulder length raven black hair out of her slender face.

"Really? How so doctor?" Shirou asked as he cocked an eyebrow and gazed at the woman with a puzzled look in his amber eyes.

"Well to be honest it was rather hard to conduct the test for some reason, one might have been because it seemed as though the sample you had was either already decaying or that it never existed in the first place. It was rather odd," the woman replied with a small sigh as she handed over a set of forms to Shirou. "However it turns out that half of the genetic make up of the sample is in fact your DNA."

Shirou gaped at the woman for a moment wide eyed before he looked down at the test results. 'Then…she really is my daughter!' Shirou thought to himself as his eyes widened considerably and his mouth went dry, almost as if he had been sucking on a cotton ball.

"Is something wrong Emiya-san?" the doctor asked with concern evident in her eyes as well as in Saber's as she gazed up her Master's rigid form.

Shirou continued to stare blankly at the paper for a moment before he heard the doctor start repeating herself. "No, nothings wrong, I guess I'm just a little shocked," Shirou replied with a sheepish chuckle as he scratched the nape of his neck nervously. "Anyway," he began as he tucked the forms under his armpit, "Thank you doctor."

"You're quite welcome Emiya-san, I hope I was of some assistance," the young woman replied with a warm smile as Saber stood up and the pair prepared to leave.

"More then you can imagine," Shirou said with a small smile as he waved goodbye and headed toward the elevator with Saber close behind.

After Shirou and Saber had boarded the elevator the doctor simply shook her head and sighed. "Teenage pregnancy, so sad and it seems like the child didn't make it. It really is sad too, he seemed like he might have a had a bright future ahead of him and he was quite handsome as well," the woman said to herself with a small frown finding its way onto her lips as she passed back through the swinging doors.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Shirou, forgive me if it is not my place to ask you about this, but what was the point of that…test?" Saber inquired as they continued on their walk through the vast suburb that led to Shirou's estate.

Shirou was silent for a moment as he kicked an empty pop can down the street. After a moment he breathed in deeply and released a tired sigh before looking Saber in her emerald orbs. "Archer is my daughter, or at the very least closely related to me," Shirou stated as the stopped in front of the giant red gate the lead into the Emiya household.

"Shirou how is that possible?" Saber inquired as Shirou simply shook his head and sighed again.

"I don't know, but I'm definitely going to need to speak with Archer again. Maybe she can tell me a few things," Shirou said as opened the gates and headed down the stone path toward the front door. Upon reaching the door Shirou abruptly stopped causing Saber to nearly bump into him.

"Master?" Saber questioned as she raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"If she was my daughter, then that means she died…it means that I failed her. It means I couldn't even protect the one person who more then likely meant the world to me, which ultimately means I failed being a Hero of Justice," Shirou muttered to himself as he felt a stinging sensation well up in his eyes and a dull ache in his heart.

'What's going on? Why do I feel this way? I hardly know her, but the thought of her death makes me feel hollow inside…as if my heart had been forcefully ripped out of my chest,' Shirou thought to himself as a single tear streaked down his cheek.

"Master?" Saber questioned again, concern clearly evident in her voice as well as on her face.

"Saber…I need you to help me," Shirou managed to choke out, "Help me obtain the Holy Grail."

Saber simply stared blankly at her Master for a moment before smiling softly as him. "Of course Master, I am your sword and your will is my bidding," Saber stated simply as she smiled warmly at the young man.

"Thank you…Saber," Shirou managed with a small smile of his own as he turned to face the blond haired woman. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Shirou enveloped Saber in a warm embrace and clutched her to his chest tightly. "I won't fail you Saber, and I know you won't fail me. Let's do this together."

Saber simply stood stupefied for a moment before she smiled and returned Shirou's hug. "Of course…Shirou," the emerald eyed Servant said as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his warmth.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the pair below her, a stretch limousine was currently parked outside the residence, and within in it two shady figures watched the pair.

"So you see, there's no reason for you not to go along with this," Zouken stated with a sinister smirk as he turned to face Sakura who simply scowled at the scene in front of her.

'So is this what you have chosen Senpai? Does she have your heart? So be it, if I can't have you no one will,' Sakura thought to herself as her eyes began to glow a vibrant red.

'Perfect, simply perfect,' Zouken thought to himself as he gazed upon Sakura's expression and grinned wickedly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Unbelievable! How could he not believe me!?" Archer snapped as she stomped into the Tohsaka residence and kicked off her shoes at the entrance way before stomping through the hallway. After heading a ways down the hall she stopped in front of a cherry wood door and entered into Rin's parlor. As she stomped over toward the couch she felt her legs give way a bit and she almost feel head over heels.

"Wow, I guess I didn't realize how tired I am," Archer commented to herself with a frown as she plopped down on the plushy couch in Rin's parlor. 'I think I'll rest for awhile, chances are Master wont need anything for awhile anyway. Besides I need to get some of my energy back ,' Archer thought to herself as her eyes began to flutter shut, and darkness began to flood her vision.

**Flashback**

"_This is the place," Midori muttered to herself as she glared up at an ancient cathedral and the starry night sky above it. The building itself was elaborately designed with various religious icons and gargoyle statues adorning various sections, especially on the higher levels, and the stone the building was composed of seemed to glow in the light of the full moon above._

"_It ends tonight," Midori said to herself as she straightened up her blood red cloak walked up and pushed through a pair of giant elaborately designed oak wood doors. Upon entering into the cathedral she noted that it was rather simplistically designed. There were rather sturdy, but also rather dusty, pews on the side of a red carpeted isle that led up to a rather simplistic altar at the head of the building._

_However none of these things really caught her attention, due to the fact that she was far more focused on a cloaked figure lighting a candle by the altar. "So there you are," Midori muttered through gritted teeth as she stepped forward._

_The figure seemed to pay her no heed as it seemingly prayed before it gazed up at an ancient golden cross hanging above the altar. "Miracles are a very rare occurrence, you know," the figure stated, in warped voice, without turning around. _

_As the figure spoke Midori continued to walk forward until she was about ten feet away._

"_Juxtaposed with Miracles, Sin's are a regular occurrence," the figure stated calmly as it turned to face Midori. "Do you remember what I told you when we last met?"_

"_Yes, you told me my birth was the ultimate Sin," Midori muttered through gritted teeth as she glared daggers into the figure, "And then you slit Cho's throat, you sick bastard. I'm here to make sure you pay for that."_

"_Ah, you must mean that lovely young woman with the odd colored blue hair," the figure stated off handedly before waving a hand in an effort to seemingly placate Midori. "Apparently you really do know nothing, your girlfriend was in fact one of her servants. You could consider what I did a favor."_

"_What the hell are you talking about!? You killed one of the few people who genuinely cared about me and you expect me to thank you!? FUCK YOU!" Midori snapped as Masamune and Murasame formed in her hands._

"_You really are clueless aren't you? Amazing, it seems when he grafted it to you he made sure that you wouldn't remember unless he wanted you to so that he could use the power for his own gains. I suppose it's too bad that he's dead now, I need to know how to trigger those memories." the figure stated with an exasperated sigh. "Perhaps killing him wasn't the best choice. However, I will make sure that __**his**__ wish becomes a reality."_

"_What are you talking about!?" Midori snapped again as she snarled at the figure._

"_Emiya, Shirou. I have a very special bond with him, and his dream," the figure stated with a dark chuckle as a golden blade appeared in its gloved hand. "I recall that you wanted to know my identity, and I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you since this is where you will die," the figure stated as its hood slid down and an in audible sound could be felt echoing through the building._

_Midori simply watched in horror as the figures lips moved. Tears started to form in her eyes and suddenly she released a blood curdling scream before she charged the figure._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Damn you! It's not true! You can't be!" Midori bellowed as she narrowly avoided a giant green blast of energy by back flipping out of the way. She was currently donning the tattered remains of her combat outfit as well as a large bandage wrapped around her arm. Around her lay the crumbling remains of an abandoned cathedral. The stained glass windows had all been blown out revealing the starry night sky as well as the ethereal full moon above. The pews had long since been turned into toothpicks and the giant gold plated cross that had once hung behind the destroyed alter was now severed in half._

"_My, my," a wrapped voice stated with disappointment dripping off of its every word, "I must say I am disappointed. I assumed that you would have been much more powerful then this." Suddenly a black tattered cloaked form emerged from the shadows shaking its head solemnly._

"_MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO CHO AND FOR LYING TO MY FATHER!" Midori hissed as a trail of blood traveled down from the top of her head and dripped off her chin._

"_Is that so? So I suppose our relation means nothing to you?" the figure inquired as it drew out a golden blade and pointed it Midori who simply scowled in response. "Surely two of the most powerful beings on this planet can come to some sort of understanding. If you must know, I had absolutely no intention of killing her. I simply wanted to see what you were capable of," the figure stated as it watched Midori summon a giant silver, red, and black blade roughly the size of her own body and almost identical to Gilgamesh's ultimate blade aside from the color and it's size._

"_You'll get a lot more then that!" she hissed again as she raised the blade over her head and bellowed "Enuma Elish!" Suddenly a dark void of black, violet and red energy exploded from the blade as she brought it down. Within seconds the entire surrounding area was engulfed by a black void, and seconds after that Midori stood gasping for breath within a titan sized crater._

"_Rot in hell," Midori hissed out of breath as her vision began to blur and her stomach began to feel queasy._

"_I see, quite the spectacle if I do say so myself. And here I thought that Noble Phantasm could never be traced, but then again it is you I'm dealing with and not only did you trace it but you also enhanced it," a familiar warped voice sounded from all around Midori as she gasped in shock and horror. "Come now Midori-chan, you didn't expect me to die that easily did you?"_

"_How!?" Midori gasped out as her eyes went wide with shock and her mouth hung agape._

"_Well then I suppose it's my turn," the voice called out sounding rather bored. "TRUE EXCALIBUR!"_

"_NO!" Midori cried out in horror as a giant wave of green and gold energy exploded from behind Midori before it engulfed her and the entire surrounding area before exploding into a giant pillar._

**End Flashback**

"NOOOO!" Midori cried out in horror as she shot up off of Rin's couch panting for breath and sweat dripping from her brow. "It's not real, it's not real…couldn't be, just couldn't be!" Midori cried out as tears began to streak down her face and pool at her chin. After a moment she slowly and shakily pulled her knees to her chin and held herself tightly

"I'm not a monster…I'm not," she whispered to herself as tears continued to stream down her face. "We're not the same, we can't be," the distraught young woman muttered to herself while failing to notice the door to the parlor swing open.

"Archer?" Rin questioned as she hesitantly limped into the room. "Archer…are you okay?" Rin asked hesitantly as she reached out a hand toward the shivering young woman.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Archer snapped causing Rin to immediately recoil in shock. The pair stood, and sat, in complete silence for a moment. "Forgive me Master," Archer muttered after a moment.

Rin scowled at the young woman for a moment before he gaze locked in on the young woman's bloodshot eyes and shivering form. 'She looks so vulnerable, and so…weak,' Rin thought to herself with a slight frown finding it's way onto her lips.

"Monster…we're both monsters," Archer began to chant over and over in a low hushed voice as her eyes glazed over as she stared vacantly into space.

"Archer? What are you talking about?" Rin inquired as she hesitantly took a seat next to her Servant and gazed upon her with puzzlement evident in her emerald eyes.

"The memories, they just wont stop coming…I saw papa and now they wont stop coming," Archer muttered again as she continued to stare blankly into space.

"Papa?" Rin questioned once again as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Emiya…Shirou," Archer stated with a small frown finding its way onto her lips.

'Emiya-kun!' Rin thought to herself as her eyes went wide with shock and her mouth hung agape. 'She's Shirou's daughter?' Rin thought to herself as the young woman continued to mutter that she was a monster. 'Emiya…Midori? But how?' Rin thought to herself with a frown finding its way onto her face as she stared at her Servant who had begun to regain her bearings.

"A monster," Archer whispered to herself. For a moment the pair sat in silence before her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape. Suddenly she felt a hint of warmth growing outward from the center of her bosom. "They're coming," she gasped before jumping to her feet.

"What? Who's coming Archer?" Rin inquired as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"They're come for the Grail…and for me," Archer murmured, her eyes vacant of any emotion.

"What? Archer I don't understand," Rin stated with a deep frown setting on her lips.

"I've got to go…please don't follow me. Go to oyaji, he should be able to protect you," Archer stated as she turned to face Rin, her eyes still empty and devoid of any emotion.

"Archer, what's going on?" Rin asked as she hesitantly arouse from her seat of the sofa and faced her Servant.

Just as Archer was about to answer she felt a sharp pain in her chest and nervously brought her hand up to her bosom. Upon feeling a strange heat being emanated in the area next to her heart her bugged out in horror. "They're here! You have to go now!" Archer snapped as she grabbed a shocked and confused Rin by the hand and dragged her toward the back entrance of the house.

"Quickly! Go out through here; I'll hold them at the front. You have to get to Shirou and tell him to go aid Illyasviel! Her mansion is near the mountains," Archer ordered as she pushed a baffled Rin out the back door and quickly shut it behind her. 'What do I do? I can't run, but there's no way for me to be able to defeat all of them!' Archer thought to herself wide eyed as she braced herself against the door and took several deep breaths.

'I have to do this, for them,' she thought to herself, finding her resolve, as she summoned Masamune and Murasame. "I will win, there is no other choice," Archer mumbled to herself as she dashed to the front entrance and burst through the front door.

Momentarily blinded by the bright late afternoon sunlight Archer had to squint to make out the various figures that stood before her on Rin's massive front lawn.

"My, my, and here I thought you might run. Good to see that you haven't lost your nerve Midori-chan," a familiar warped voice stated with a dark chuckle from the center of a group of cloaked figures.

Archer merely scoffed in response as she glared at the group of five and drew her blades back into an offensive stance. "Run from you? How could I ever? This time I will most definitely send you to hell," Archer muttered through gritted teeth as she glared at the central figure.

"Is that so? Did you already forget our last encounter?" the central figure questioned.

Suddenly images of a gold blade soaked in blood flooded Archer's vision. Under the blade was shadowed figure gasping for its last breath within a giant crater. Then everything went black.

"I shouldn't have held back, after what you and Zouken did to oyaji I should never have held back. It was because of you that he was to be hung, because you set him up on a mission that you knew would fail," Archer snapped as her glare intensified. "Even if I lost myself to the power, killing you would have been worth it. How could you ever say that you cared about him, especially after what you did to him?" Archer questioned, her words dripping with venom.

"I won't make the same mistake again; I'll use every ounce of power I have to defeat you!" Midori cried out as her eyes shifted from a tranquil emerald green into a pair of blood red orbs that glowed eerily in the afternoon light.

"You just don't get it do you? I saved him from his fate, you see I made sure that you would take his place. Despite my hatred for him, he is still very important to me, and with the power of the Grail we can start over again…without you in the way," the figure stated in what sounded to be a tired tone of voice.

"What do you mean saved him?" Midori questioned as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's quite simple really. I simply took your corpse, reanimated it for a short time, and had you hung at the gallows in his stead. I also had you bound to the planet in his stead as well," the figure stated with a dark chuckle as he watched Midori's mouth drop and hand agape.

"However, I digress. Well then I suppose we should get underway, shouldn't we?" the figure at the center questioned as it snapped a gloved finger and a large hulking figure stepped forward. "Midori-chan, I would like you to meet my Berserker, Achilles," the cloaked figure stated as the giant Servant threw off the cloak to reveal a being almost as enormous as Illya's Berserker.

He was currently donning a gold suit of ancient battle armor, a leather battle skirt, leather sandals, and was currently wielding a sterling silver blade almost larger then himself. His dark brown hair was long and flowing accenting his slightly broad nose and ice blue eyes that seemed to glow forbiddingly.

The center figure snapped a finger once again and another large figure stepped forward. "And this is my Rider, the mighty Lu Bu," the figure stated as the figure threw off it's cloak as well revealing a tall man donning and elaborate suit of ancient Chinese gold and red armor as well as a bizarre headdress. His face was rouged, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his thin lips wore a confident smirk as he twirled his red and gold ji around effortlessly.

"I hope they won't bore you since you've decided to use the power of the monster within you," the leader stated with a smirk evident in his voice. "Now if you will excuse me I have a plan to over see, and some troublesome fools to kill. I just home Einzbern-san will not be too upset when her love mansion is leveled."

"Stay away from her!" Archer snapped as her blades began to glow their respective blue and red.

"Temper, temper, Midori-chan, I see you've some faint traces of memory pouring in through that head of yours. Don't worry, nothing will happen to her, of that you can be assured," the figure stated with another dark chuckle before he snapped his fingers and another cloaked figure stepped forward dropping a small black pebble onto the ground. In less then a second the pebble exploded covering the area in thick white smog that blinded Archer.

"Damn it!" Archer cursed as she tried to fan the smog in vain. However, her fanning immediately ceased once a giant blade swung out and tried to decapitate her before she rolled under it. 'I don't have time for this,' Archer though to herself as Masamune and Murasame fazed out and a giant blade, resembling Enuma Elish, appeared in her hands.

"BACK OFF!" she snapped as blood red energy swirled around her causing the smog to disappate immediately. However, by then Lu Bu had decided to strike.

"CHI TU MA (Red Hair Steed, or Red Hair)!" Lu Bu bellowed as he charged toward Midori on the back of giant white horse with small red freckles on its body as well as red hair composing its mane and tail. The horse was moving so fast that it was almost invisible to Midori and thus she barely avoided being trampled by it as she rolled out of the way at the last second.

"MENIS!" Achilles bellowed as he glared at Archer, who had just recovered and shot to her feet. Suddenly his body started swelling up and veins protrude out all over his arms and legs before he dashed toward Archer at a seemingly impossible speed with his blade drawn back.

Once again, Archer barely had time to leap over the blade as Achilles swiped at her with horizontal slash that destroyed the front half of the Tohsaka mansion leaving nothing but ruble and debris. "Damn it! I can't get an attack off with them attacking so quickly, and now Rin is so going to kill me," Archer mumbled to herself as she landed on a sturdy branch within a large oak tree.

Before she could even catch her breath Lu Bu leapt off of his Noble Phantasm and thrust his ji out at lighting quick speeds toward Archer who barely avoided the thrust.

'I have to go on the offensive,' she thought to herself with a frown as she got a better grip on her blade, 'No matter what.' She immediately stopped her dodging and allowed Lu Bu to thrust his spear into her shoulder which she tactically angled in his direction.

Lu Bu stood shocked for a moment before he smirked and tried to dislodge his halberd from the girl's arm. Unfortunately for the giant Servant his blade wouldn't budge and soon his eyes went wide as Archer slowly, as well as painfully, lifted her blade over her head with a triumphant smirk.

"Enuma El-GACK!" she choked out as she coughed up blood. Staring down she noticed the giant blade protruding out her torso, drenched with her blood.

"GAHAHAHA!" Achilles laughed manically from the base of the tree, his hands still extended in the way they had been when he threw the blade.

Archer stared down blankly at the blade for a moment before a smirk found its way onto her lips. "Gotcha," Archer chuckled hoarsely as she raised her weapon above her head again smiled down at the shocked Servant's beneath her. "Enuma…ELISH!" she bellowed as she brought her blade down and engulfed the entire area in a pillar of black, red, and violet energy that shot through the clouds above causing them to swirl around the pillar and the blue sky to turn a blood red color.

As soon as the pillar shrunk into nothingness Archer wiped the blood from her lips and gazed upon the giant crater where the Tohasaka household once stood. She smiled softly to herself as she felt the gaping hole in her chest begin to heal as she started to allow her blade to dissipate. However, as the smog cleared two figures stood before her, and one seemed completely unfazed by her attack.

Lu Bu seemed to be on his last leg as blood poured out from the various wounds adorning his body, but Achilles simply looked as though he was annoyed.

"He enhanced them!?" Archer questioned in disbelief as she stared at the two figures that began to approach her once again. 'Lu Bu doesn't even look like he'll last too much longer, but Achilles doesn't even seem phased…wait that's it! The heel! A direct attack to the heel should finish him!' Archer thought to herself as said behemoth charged her again.

Narrowly avoiding the hulking Servant's punch, which obliterated what was left of the surrounding landscape, Archer allowed her blade to dissipate and her long bow to form in his hands. However, before she could even pull back Achilles was on her again. Without even a second to think Archer watched in horror as the beast hulking fist smashed into her skull sending her flying a great distance away and landing with a bone crunching thud.

"BWHAHAHA!" the God like man laughed triumphantly as it stalked toward Archer again and, upon reaching her, lifted her up by her hair earning a pained moan in response. The beast once again drew its fist back and then shot it forward hitting Archer in her abdomen with a force that could be described as being hit by a bullet train.

The force of the blow caused her to cough up a mouth full of blood as her body hung limply in his hands. Upon noticing that the red head could no longer even keep her eyes open the giant man dropped her onto the ground and started pounding her down through the dirt. After almost a minute of doing so Achilles finished with one last blow to the ribs where upon he heard a loud "CRRRRACCCCKKK!" and he knew his prey was down for good.

The beast once again laughed manically as it turned and walked toward Lu Bu how had already started to dissipate into dust. Both shared a mutual and solemn nod noting that their mission had been accomplished.

After Lu Bu disappeared into the wind Achilles set off toward the mountains. However, as soon as he took three steps forward he heard crazed laughing sound form behind him and turned around to face whatever it may be. He would soon regret this as a snarling and cackling Archer gazed upon him with glowing blood red eyes as blood poured out of her slightly open mouth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"She has awakened," "Issei" gasped as he immediately awoke from his unconscious state and shot up out of his futon. He then dashed toward Caster's room and flung the door open.

The Servant slowly stirred from her fitful slumber and gazed toward the doorway as Issei entered into the room and shut the door behind him. "Issei-kun? What's going on?" Caster questioned as the young man crouched by her side.

"She has awakened, so I no longer have any use for you as you are. We shall now finish the binding ceremony and you shall now combine your powers with me," "Issei" stated coldly as he stared down at the shocked Servant who simply stared up at him, mouth agape. "Don't tell me you actually believed that you became partially flesh through some ridiculous "technique"!" "Issei scoffed as he began to chuckle almost femininely.

"Iss-" Caster began before she was cut off.

"Issei is dead, I am Xienantous…a True Demon Lord," Xienantous stated as his façade as Issei began to peel away revealing a young woman with voluptuous body, pale skin, and long flowing violet hair which extended well past the her thighs. Her eyes were still canary yellow with blood red fringes, and she still had cat like pupils. In center of her forehead was a strange violet symbol that glowed eerily.

"Where is Issei?" Caster questioned with confusion and pain evident in her voice as she stared up at the Demon Lord with tears in her eyes.

"Issei has long been dead and buried," Xienantous replied with a feral smirk as she thrust her slender hand into Caster's chest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her hair was once again stark white, but now it extended down well past the small of her back. Red vein like marks extended up both sides of her body and ended at the top of her forehead. In the center of her forehead was what looked to be an intricate diamond mark with a set of small circles within it which had their own separate intricate patterns within them. All of the marks glowed red and black.

"Finally," was all "Archer" stated with a feral smirk as her hands squeezed open and closed almost reflexively as violet crackles of energy danced around her body. "Now then, I think it's time that I had a little fun," "Archer" stated before she seemingly phased into nothingness.

Achilles looked shocked for a moment before he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and then a cold numb feeling spread throughout his entire body before everything went black. Unbeknownst to him as a giant pillar of black and white swirling energy had just shot through his body causing him to disintegrate.

"It seems as though I have lost a great deal of my power…ah I see. Now wonder, this body is one created by the power of the Grail. Well then I should correct this minor problem, after all what's a few more days of dormancy when I can revive such a useful container," "Archer" thought to herself with a smirk as black, white, and violet energy began to swirl around her.

Within seconds the energy dissipated and Archer passed out onto the ground as her body once again reverted back to its original form only leaving a long red mane as a reminder of the transformation.

**To Be Continued**

Author's Note: Alrighty! Thanks to everyone who took the time to review, or even check out the story! Chapter 11 is up and Chapter 12 is on it's way. Anyway, please review and feel free to flame if this chapter sux!


End file.
